Armed settlers stop a US politician in the West Bank – for over an hour. The Israeli army is said not to have intervened.
July 11, 2026, 8:20 p.mJuly 11, 2026, 8:20 p.m
Julian Seiferth / t-online
Democratic US Congressman Ro Khanna accuses Israeli settlers and the Israeli military of serious misconduct after a visit to the occupied West Bank. Khanna told Reuters that armed settlers prevented him and other US citizens from traveling for more than an hour near the Palestinian hamlet of Khirbet Zanuta on Wednesday.
According to Khanna, his delegation had previously visited a village that, according to him, had been destroyed by settlers. «They had destroyed the school. They had destroyed the village. And we just looked at it,” the lawmaker told Reuters. Then armed settlers appeared with US M4 rifles – Khanna literally speaks of “gangsters with submachine guns”. They arrested the group and alerted the Israeli army. When soldiers arrived, they sided with the settlers, Khanna said.
Khanna: Israeli army supported the settlers
The Israeli military described the incident differently. In a statement, it said soldiers and police were deployed following a tip-off about settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta. After their arrival, they dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue their journey. The Israeli police did not initially comment on the incident. The US Embassy in Jerusalem also did not initially respond to a request.
But Khanna’s colleague Cameron Kasky also contradicted the Israeli army’s portrayal. He wrote on Platform X that the military was misrepresenting the incident. The soldiers arrived and initially talked to the armed settlers instead of intervening.
Khanna also published a post on the X platform after the incident in which he wrote that Israeli settlers had detained him and other Americans with US M4 rifles. When the Israeli army arrived, it supported the settlers and continued the detention. The Democrat said he would release more details shortly.
Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine.
When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention.
They made a huge mistake.
You will be hearing more soon. https://t.co/rZw8bRAn64 pic.twitter.com/4z50Ye4I7K
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 11, 2026
The congressman from California says he is considering running for the 2028 US presidential election. He told Reuters that the trip had strengthened his thoughts. He is considered a critic of Israel. Khanna became known nationally when he campaigned for the release of the Epstein files together with Republicans Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Since then, he has been repeatedly attacked by name by US President Donald Trump.
Israel is a controversial topic among US Democrats
Khanna said she only visited the West Bank and took part in a program organized by Palestinians. In his own words, he wanted to get an immediate picture of the situation on site.
Israel’s settlement policy and the war in the Gaza Strip have been sparking controversial debates within the Democratic Party in the USA for months. While some MPs are calling for a restriction on military aid to Israel, others are rejecting this. Most states and the United Nations view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as violating international law. Israel rejects this view and describes the area as disputed territory.