Who is Ro Khanna? Indian-origin US Congressman alleges he was detained by armed Israeli settlers during…, says, ‘They block off the…’

A US Democratic lawmaker says rifle-wielding Israeli settlers detained him along with his tour group during a trip to the Palestine this week. In a post on X on Saturday, the Indian-origin Congressman Ro Khanna accused the Israeli military of supporting the settlers.

Khanna, a representative from California, said that he was only released after calls to the United States embassy in Jerusalem. However, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) refuted claims of detaining any visitors in the incident, reflecting the escalating dispute between Israel and the American Democratic Party.

“And these hoodlums come in with machine guns…,” says Khanna

Speaking with Reuters on Thursday, July 10, in a Palestinian village, Ro Khanna said his group’s vehicle was surrounded by Israeli settlers wielding US-made M4 rifles a day earlier while visiting a part of the southern West Bank where residents are frequently subjected to attacks. “We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed; they had destroyed the school, they had destroyed that village, and we were just looking at it,” Khanna was quoted as saying.

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“And these hoodlums come in with machine guns – M4, an American-made machine gun – and they detain us. They block off the road. And then they call the IDF, and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans,” Khanna added, accusing the Israeli army.

How were Khanna and his group released?

Cameron Kasky, an aide to the US Congressmen who was also in the group, said they were detained for more than an hour and appealed to the American Embassy in Jerusalem for help. A group of police officers eventually intervened, leading to their release, Kasky added.

The Israeli army said troops and police officers intervened after receiving a report of settlers blocking vans near a small Palestinian hamlet named Khirbet Zanuta. In this place, residents were forced to flee following violent settler raids following the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. “Upon their arrival, the troops dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue on their way,” the military said. Israeli police, however, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

Who is Ro Khanna?

Khanna, the Congressman from California, is known to be an outspoken progressive, critical of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. According to media reports, he is the second Democrat considering a White House bid in the 2028 presidential election to visit the Palestinian region this week. Upon being asked if he was running for president, Khanna said, “I’m strongly considering it, and I’m more resolved to consider it after this trip.”

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