Israel Denies US Congressman Ro Khanna's Claims of Confrontation in the West Bank
Claims by the US Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna regarding a violent confrontation with armed settlers in the West Bank, Palestine, have been firmly rejected by Israeli officials on Monday (14 July). The incident has become a new flashpoint in the fierce debate over Israel’s actions in the occupied territory.
In a post on the platform X on Saturday, Khanna said that Israeli settlers wielding American-made M4 rifles detained him and other American citizens during a tour of the West Bank last week. Khanna also accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of siding with the settlers upon arriving at the scene.
Israeli authorities gave a very different account. According to the IDF, soldiers were dispatched to the area near Khirbet Zanuta after receiving a report that foreigners had entered an area believed to be a closed military zone, while Israeli civilians had blockaded a road nearby.
The military said soldiers immediately moved civilians away from the area and confirmed there was no security threat. The IDF later confirmed the location was not in fact a closed military zone and allowed Khanna’s convoy to continue on its way.
“The process lasted several minutes,” the IDF said, stressing that there was no physical confrontation or violence between the parties involved.
The Israeli police also rejected Khanna’s version of events, stating that officers witnessed no violence. According to body-camera footage, the tour operator was warned about violating a military order before the group was eventually allowed through.
Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, accused Khanna of deliberately creating a confrontation that could have been avoided. Leiter described the incident as a cheap provocation that had been anticipated, because Khanna refused to coordinate his travel plans with either the Israeli authorities or the US Embassy in Jerusalem.
Khanna’s office flatly rejected the IDF and police’s version. The congressman’s political team said that armed extremist settlers blockaded the convoy for roughly an hour, kicked the vehicle’s tyres and hurled abuse while IDF soldiers merely looked on.
They also denied the claim that the incident lasted only a few minutes. “The military’s claim that the encounter lasted only a few minutes is demonstrably false,” Khanna’s team insisted, maintaining that the convoy was trapped for an hour despite efforts to leave.
Despite the sharp divergence in narratives over the duration and the intimidation involved, all parties agree that no physical violence occurred during the incident.