An American Politician Is Blocked by Israeli Settlers in the West Bank

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California said he and his delegation were blocked for more than an hour by armed Israeli settlers, and later by Israeli soldiers, during a visit to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, July 8 — an incident that has quickly become a flashpoint in the broader debate over U.S.-Israel relations.

What Happened, According to Khanna

Khanna said the confrontation occurred near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, a community whose residents left after settler attacks, during a three-day tour of the West Bank. Speaking with CNN and posting on X, Khanna described armed men carrying American-made M4 rifles surrounding his vehicles. "I see these young men brandishing M4s, circling, circling our vans, cursing us out in Hebrew and Arabic, which I didn't understand, and filming us, laughing at us, wiping our windows while doing that, blockading us," he said. Khanna's aide, Cameron Kasky, said the group repeatedly contacted the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for assistance during the standoff.

Khanna said that when Israel Defense Forces soldiers eventually arrived, they did not immediately intervene on his group's behalf. According to Khanna, a member of his security team spoke with the soldiers, who responded, "We don't care that there's an American in the car. We don't care about a congressman." Khanna said his group was ultimately freed only after the U.S. Embassy and a high-level Israeli government official communicated directly, and he thanked embassy official David Brownstein for helping "rescue" the delegation. It remains unclear whether U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee intervened on the group's behalf.

Israel's Response

The IDF issued a statement acknowledging the incident but disputing key details of Khanna's account. The military said it received a report of Israeli citizens blocking foreign nationals and media near Khirbet Zanuta, and that "upon receiving the report, IDF troops were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the blocked road." The IDF specifically denied that its own soldiers participated in blocking the road, stating that "the IDF soldiers operating in the area did not take part in blocking the road." The U.S. Embassy and Israeli government had reportedly been notified of Khanna's trip in advance.

Part of a Broader Pattern in the West Bank

The incident is the latest in what rights groups and international observers describe as a documented rise in settler violence against Palestinians and outside visitors, occurring alongside continued Israeli settlement expansion in the territory. On the same day as Khanna's confrontation, the Israeli military said it separately detained four suspects for attacking foreign journalists — including a CNN crew — traveling to another West Bank community, Sinjil; the military said the assailants blocked and damaged the journalists' vehicle using clubs and knives. Israeli officials have condemned particularly severe incidents of settler violence but have generally characterized them as exceptions, and perpetrators are rarely prosecuted. Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, while Israel maintains the territory's status remains subject to future negotiation; some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet have pushed for formal annexation.

Why Khanna Made the Trip

Khanna, a progressive lawmaker who has been exploring a potential 2028 presidential bid, said he wanted an "uncurated, extensive look at the occupation through the eyes of Palestinians," arguing that politicians "unwilling to speak up for Palestinian human rights" are "morally compromised." In a fundraising email sent shortly after describing the incident, Khanna wrote, "If this can happen to an American member of Congress, imagine what life is like for Palestinians who have no smartphones, no security, and no national platform." He said he intends to press the Israeli government to prosecute both the settlers and the four IDF soldiers involved, and plans to raise the matter with the White House and State Department.

A Wider Political Backdrop

The episode comes amid a broader, well-documented shift in how Democratic voters and some prominent party figures view Israel. A recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that about 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is "too supportive" of Israel. Days before Khanna's trip, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel — himself a potential 2028 contender and the son of an Israeli-born father who fought in Israel's war of independence — delivered a pointed speech in Tel Aviv describing Israel as having become a "territorial pariah," reflecting how sharply sentiment within parts of the Democratic Party has shifted on the issue in recent years.

What's Next

With competing accounts from Khanna and the IDF over exactly what role Israeli soldiers played, and no independent adjudication yet of the incident, the episode is likely to remain a point of contention. Khanna has said he expects Israel to prosecute those involved, though it remains to be seen whether Israeli authorities will take that step or whether the incident will fade the way rights groups say similar cases involving Palestinian residents typically have.