Congressman Ro Khanna says he was detained by Israeli settlers in the West Bank

Congressman Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers for over an hour while visiting the West Bank. Khanna also said members of the Israel Defense Forces spoke with the settlers and moved a car to block the road. 

Khanna’s experience was first reported by The New York Times. A spokesperson for the congressman confirmed the details of the Times’ report to CBS News. The Times said a photojournalist from the publication also witnessed the interaction. 

When asked to comment on Khanna’s allegations, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said it had received a report of Israeli civilians “unlawfully blocking the vehicles of foreign nationals and members of the media.” The IDF said troops “were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the blocked road.” 

The IDF also said the soldiers “did not take part in blocking the road,” and the “identity of the armed individual is currently under review.”

U.S. politicians from both sides of the aisle have visited the West Bank since the war in Gaza was sparked by a massive attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the territory in September 2025 and dined with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Democrats Chris van Hollen and Jeff Merkley, of Maryland and Oregon, respectively, toured the region in August 2025. 

Several nations that have supported Israel during the war in Gaza criticized the country after IDF troops fired what they called “warning shots” near a group of diplomats visiting the territory in May 2025. The delegation included representatives from the European Union, Japan and Russia. The IDF said the shots were fired after the group wandered off an approved route and entered a restricted area. 

The United Nations said in May that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem since the war began. CBS News has met Palestinian residents and Israeli activists in the West Bank who say violent attacks by Israeli settlers have increased significantly since the war in Gaza began, including attacks that have driven people from their land. Israel has also continued to expand its settlements in the territory. 

Israeli soldiers accused of harming Palestinians in the West Bank are rarely penalized and were indicted in fewer than 1% of cases based on 2,427 complaints alleging wrongdoing between 2016 and 2024, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 from Jordan and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. About 15% of the settlers are Americans. 

The United Nations call Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal, and Israel has been criticized for the actions of settlers in the territory. Five long-time U.S. allies jointly imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli officials who they accused of “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the sanctions and called for their reversal.