"They held us at gunpoint with American rifles".. Settlers besiege American congressman in the West Bank

SadaNews - U.S. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna stated that armed Israeli settlers with American-made rifles held him captive during his recent visit to the West Bank, noting that the visit allowed him to see a true picture of the repercussions of the Israeli occupation on human lives, as he described.

Reuters reported from the Democratic congressman, speaking from a Palestinian village, that settlers carrying M-4 rifles besieged the car he was in the previous day during a tour in an area of southern West Bank where residents face repeated attacks from settlers.

Khanna, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, stated, "We were in a village destroyed by Israeli settlers.. they destroyed the school and demolished that village, and we were just inspecting it."

He added, "Then these criminals came carrying M-4 rifles, which are American-made, and held us captive. They blocked the road. Then they called the Israeli army, which was on their side and not on the Americans' side."

Cameron Kasky, one of Khanna's aides who was in the group, mentioned that they were held for more than an hour and pleaded with the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem for help. Kasky added that a group of officers, who seemed to be police, eventually intervened leading to their release.

The Israeli army stated that forces from the army and police intervened after receiving a report about settlers obstructing the road for vehicles near Khirbat Zanouta, a small Palestinian village whose residents were forcibly displaced following violent attacks by settlers after the Al-Aqsa Flood events on October 7, 2023.

The army said, "Upon their arrival, the forces dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to proceed on their way."

Division among Democrats

This comes as Khanna is considering running for president in 2028. He is the second Democrat to contemplate running for the White House visiting the region this week.

When asked if he intends to run for president, Khanna responded, "I’m seriously considering it and I’ve become more inclined to pursue this experience after this visit."

Israeli policies toward Palestinians have become a prominent contentious issue within the Democratic Party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for next November, and have contributed to the losses of some incumbent Democratic representatives in the primaries against left-wing opponents who accused them of supporting the right-wing Israeli government.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that support for Israel among Democrats dropped from 59% in 2018 to 22% in May 2026.

Although Israel has historically enjoyed strong support from both major parties in the United States, the number of Democrats in Congress calling for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel is increasing, which amounts to $3.8 billion annually, including funding for light weapons such as M-4 rifles and missile defense systems that Israel used during its war with Iran.

Ram Emmanuel, who served as White House Chief of Staff during the administration of former President Barack Obama, said on Wednesday that Israeli policies toward Palestinians undermine support for the U.S.-Israeli alliance.

U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna speaks with a resident of the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah during his visit to the occupied West Bank on July 9, 2026 (Reuters)

During a visit to an area overlooking a valley where settlement outposts are spread on the outskirts of Turmus Ayya, which hosts thousands of Palestinians who also hold U.S. citizenship, Khanna stated that he believes his party leaders "do not realize the magnitude of the moral test that the issues of Palestine, Gaza, and Israel represent."

Khanna noted that he intentionally limited his visit to the West Bank and organized his meetings and programs by Palestinians, aiming to gain an unfiltered perspective on the lands seized by Israel in the 1967 war.

He added, "If you are not ready to defend human rights for Palestinians, and if you are not ready to condemn genocide in Gaza and the apartheid system in the West Bank, your moral stance is questionable."

Israel denies accusations of committing genocide in Gaza or imposing an apartheid system in the West Bank, which is home to about 3 million Palestinians and approximately 500,000 Jewish settlers.

Most countries in the world and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law, based on the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits the transfer of civilian populations into occupied territories.

In contrast, Israel rejects this stance, stating that the West Bank is a disputed territory that has witnessed a Jewish presence for thousands of years. Meanwhile, Palestinians view the West Bank, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, as part of a Palestinian state they aspire to establish.

Support for Israel remains strong among Republicans, although some factions within President Donald Trump's political coalition have also called for an end to aid provided to Israel.