United States Congressman Ro Khanna was detained by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, according to the California Democrat. The incident has drawn criticism from rights advocates and sparked a wave of political attacks from Israeli and pro-Israel figures.

Detention and Aftermath

Khanna said that the settlers stopped his van for 20 minutes and were later joined by Israeli soldiers who continued to block the road — the ordeal lasted over an hour and was resolved only after he contacted the US embassy in Israel for assistance.

On Sunday, Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US, appeared to deflect blame onto Khanna, claiming the California Democrat had failed to coordinate his trip with the Israeli government. Leiter said Khanna had coordinated the visit with Palestinian activists and the Jewish nonprofit group J Street instead.

Leiter also speculated,without evidence,that Khanna may have delayed releasing a video of the incident to shift focus from his support for politician Graham Platner, who dropped out of the Senate race in Maine on Friday amid sexual misconduct allegations. Khanna published his video on Saturday.

Khanna’s Response and Israeli Denial

Khanna denied the allegations and insisted he had informed Israel of his travel plans. He called for the arrest of the settlers who detained him and accused the Israeli military of lying about the events. “The [Israeli military] is lying,” Khanna said during an appearance on NBC News.

Khanna described the incident as “rare,” noting that the settlers brandished M4 rifles, kicked the tires of their van, and mocked them while recording the encounter. He added that the Israeli military had participated in the detention and obstruction.

“How dare they mistreat people with an American passport that way?” Khanna said.

Political Backlash and Criticism

Pro-Israel politicians in the US have questioned the legitimacy of Khanna’s experience, claiming he provoked the detention through a political stunt. Republican Congressman Greg Murphy wrote on social media: “Sounds like another plea for publicity. Anything to get in front of the camera. Why else would you be there? It isn’t your country.”

Khanna responded to Murphy, urging him to join “Team America” and support efforts to hold settlers and soldiers accountable for mistreating US citizens. “I would be calling for that if you had been in our shoes,” Khanna said.

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson defended Khanna, criticizing US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for not speaking out against the incident. Carlson called the treatment of an American member of Congress by “foreign terrorists” backed by a foreign military “too much, too insulting and humiliating to America.”

Meanwhile, former US envoy to Israel, David Friedman, accused Khanna of “self-victimization,” claiming the Democrat had entered a restricted zone to provoke the incident. Friedman argued that Khanna had achieved a “photo op” and constructed a “false narrative.”

Several other pro-Israel advocates echoed the sentiment, suggesting Khanna exaggerated or fabricated the experience.

Israel’s military and settler presence in the occupied West Bank is considered illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, including Gaza, is unlawful.

Israeli settlers—often protected by the Israeli military—regularly attack Palestinian communities in the West Bank. These attacks include ransacking farms, assaulting civilians, and killing people who come in their way. That includes US citizens.

In 2025, for example, Israeli settlers beat 20-year-old US citizen Sayfollah Musallet to death. Three weeks later, another American citizen, Khamis Ayyad, a father of five from Chicago, was also killed in a settler attack. No suspects have been charged in either case.

Despite well-documented abuses against US citizens, Israel was added to the US visa waiver programme in 2023, allowing Israelis to travel visa-free to the US. Israel is also the largest cumulative recipient of US military aid in history, having received more than $21bn in the last two years alone.