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US Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna said he was detained by settlers armed with US-made rifles during a visit to the West Bank last week, a story he tweeted on Saturday. The incident, which took place in the West Bank village of Khirbet Zanuta, has drawn attention to tensions between Israel and the US over Israel's policies toward Palestinians.

Khanna, who has served California's 17th district since 2017, is among Congress's most vocal critics of the Israeli government and has backed legislation that would block weapons sales to Israel. He was in the region last week meeting with Palestinians while avoiding meetings with Israeli officials.

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post reported the initial account on Saturday and followed with additional details on Monday. Both reports rely on information from Khanna's entourage, the IDF, and newly released video evidence.

The first report highlighted the incident as a "grave failure" on the Israeli side, noting that the IDF had failed to prevent the harassment and had not detained the settlers involved. However, the report also acknowledged significant discrepancies between Khanna's narrative and the IDF's account of the incident.

The second report delved into the complexities of the situation, revealing that the area was not a closed military zone at the time, and that Khanna had not coordinated his travel with the IDF. It also provided the settlers' perspective, noting they had reported a suspicious car to the police, who then notified the IDF.

Key Claims

According to Khanna, his group's van was surrounded by settlers wielding M4 rifles while touring the West Bank village of Khirbet Zanuta. The residents of the village were forcibly displaced by settler raids in December 2024, according to the reports. The IDF said its forces dispersed the settlers, but Khanna claimed the IDF aided the settlers.

An IDF official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the soldiers did not actively try to remove the settlers and instead waited for a police official to arrive before letting Khanna leave. The official also said that the area where Khanna was detained was not a closed military zone at the time.

The settlers reportedly reported a suspicious car to the police, who then notified the IDF. The IDF soldiers did not act to remove the settlers and waited for a police official to arrive before allowing Khanna to leave. The reports indicate that no official complaint has been filed, and the IDF has not detained the settlers involved.

In addition, the IDF said that Khanna did not coordinate his travel with the IDF, which meant there was no official protection for him and IDF officials were not aware of his presence to give special instructions to soldiers. This point was noted in the reports as a factor that complicated the situation.

The reports also noted that the IDF did not actively try to remove the settlers and instead waited for a police official to arrive, which was a detail that emerged from on- and off-the-record information and newly released video evidence.

Perspectives

The main perspectives come from the IDF and from Khanna's entourage. The IDF claimed that its forces dispersed the settlers and that the soldiers did not actively try to remove them, waiting for a police official to arrive. They also noted that Khanna had not coordinated his travel with them, which complicated the situation.

Khanna, through his public statements and the account of his entourage, maintained that the settlers surrounded his group with rifles and that the IDF failed to protect them. His account also drew attention to the displacement of the villagers in December 2024, placing the incident in a broader context of settler violence and displacement.

The Israeli government, through officials cited in the reports, acknowledged the incident as a "grave failure" on their side, but emphasized the discrepancies between Khanna's account and the IDF's narrative, particularly regarding the events after the initial confrontation.