The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has accused Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., of lying about consulting the American Embassy regarding Khanna's visit to the Biblical heartland of Israel. Khanna visited the West Bank last week, claiming his group was aggressively detained by Israeli settlers, but Huckabee rejected the account, stating that the embassy was not informed of the visit.
In a post on X, Huckabee wrote, "The left-wing activist who set up this stunt says 'The embassy is involved.' That is NOT TRUE. We did NOT know a member of Congress was coming. We would have said don't go to restricted zone." Khanna responded by stating that the embassy was indeed informed of his visit and that Deputy Chief of Mission David Brownstein was instrumental in helping him and his delegation.
Khanna claimed that they were detained by violent settlers for 75 minutes, but an Israeli Mideast analyst, Eitan Fischberger, posted footage on X that he said debunked Khanna's claims. Fischberger wrote, "I encourage everyone to watch footage of Ro Khanna's supposedly violent 'detainment,' which was released by the crazed activists on his own team. What a glorious self-own."
Khanna denied Fischberger's claims, stating that the post was "false" and provided his own X post with video footage. He claimed that when the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers and continued his detention. Khanna told Fox News that he was detained for 75 minutes and that the settlers brandished an M4 gun and kicked his van's tires.
Khanna's visit to the West Bank was met with criticism from a fellow Democrat, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who wrote on X, "What's appalling is that Ro ignored requests to meet 10/7 survivors and hostages, or to visit sites of the 10/7 terrorist attacks. Instead, riding the anti-Zionist wave, he used the trip as a presidential campaign cameo." Gottheimer accused Khanna of using the visit as a "presidential campaign cameo."
Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, posted a lengthy response on X regarding Khanna's allegations. Leiter wrote, "Congressman Khanna was offered to coordinate his visit with the State of Israel — this goes beyond notifying of his presence in the country. He was offered in-depth coordination of his schedule to avoid misunderstandings, and he chose to ignore that offer."
Leiter also accused Khanna of defaming the Jewish state, stating that he used the visit as an opportunity to tout "genocide" and "apartheid" libels to the press. Khanna responded by stating that he unequivocally rejects Hamas' terrorism and believes Israel has a right to exist. However, he declined to call Hamas' invasion on Oct. 7 genocidal.
The IDF spokesperson stated that the soldiers were dispatched to the Khirbet Zanuta area in the Judea Brigade after receiving reports of a closed military zone. However, it was later determined that the area was not a closed military zone, and the convoy was allowed to continue on its way. The spokesperson noted that there was no physical confrontation or violence between those involved.
An Israeli security official told The Press Service of Israel that Khanna's delegation did not coordinate its arrival in advance. The official stated that visits by foreign lawmakers and other prominent delegations to sensitive areas of Judea and Samaria are generally coordinated with Israeli authorities to assess access restrictions, security conditions, and logistical arrangements.
Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, stated that Khanna's visit appeared to be a publicity stunt in advance of his expected run for president in 2028. Diker claimed that Khanna had publicly endorsed a Palestinian state following the Oct. 7 Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas massacre and had aligned himself with pro-Hamas, pro-BDS groups.
The incident has raised concerns about the potential for politicians to use their visits to Israel as a platform for their presidential campaigns. Diker stated that the 2028 presidential election cycle is a magnet for attracting some candidates to Israel with their alleged anti-Israel personal agendas.
