'If You're Unwilling To Speak Up For Palestinians...': Why Ro Khanna Went To West Bank

Last Updated:July 11, 2026, 19:21 IST

Khanna's visit to the West Bank came amid growing debate within the Democratic Party over US policy towards Israel and the ongoing conflict in Palestinian territories.

Indian-origin Democrat Ro Khanna came at the centre of a controversy after he was allegedly detained by a group of Israeli settlers with US-made rifles during a visit to the occupied West Bank. Khanna said his group’s van was surrounded by settlers while visiting a part of the southern West Bank which witnessed frequent settler attacks.

Khanna said the incident occurred while his group was touring a Palestinian village destroyed by Israeli settlers. “We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed. They had destroyed the school, they had destroyed the village, and we were there looking at it," he told Reuters.

“These hoodlums came in with machine guns — M4s, American-made rifles — and they detained us. They blocked off the road and then called the IDF. The IDF was on their side, not on the side of the Americans," he alleged.

Khanna was eventually allowed to continue his journey after calls to the US embassy and Israeli police. “Imagine how people feel every day, Palestinians under the occupation, if they could make an American congressperson feel powerless for 90 minutes," he was quoted as saying by The New York Times.

ALSO READ: Who Is Ro Khanna? The Indian-Origin US Congressman At The Centre Of West Bank Controversy

Why Ro Khanna Visited West Bank?

Khanna’s visit to the West Bank came amid growing debate within the Democratic Party over US policy towards Israel and the ongoing conflict in Palestinian territories. A growing number of Democrats have criticised Israel’s actions in Palestinian territories and have called on the administration to cut off military aid to Israel.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that Israel’s favourability rating among Democrats fell from 59% in 2018 to 22% in May, reflecting strong opposition to Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza. Several prominent Democrats have been targeted by left-wing challengers who accuse them of supporting Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government.

Several Democrats and even some Republicans in US President Donald Trump’s circle have become vocal critics of US policy towards Israel. Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff under Barack Obama, delivered a scathing assessment of Netanyahu’s policies in Tel Aviv, saying they were eroding support for the US-Israeli alliance.

Khanna has also shifted on the issue. He had visited Israel three times before, including in October 2024 as part of a bipartisan delegation that met Netanyahu. While he said he supported Israel’s right to exist, the Democrat has repeatedly accused the country of genocide and endorsed calls to cut off US support.

The Indian-origin lawmaker said his latest visit to the West Bank was aimed at providing an unfiltered view of the territory captured by Israel in 1967. “If you’re unwilling to ​speak up for Palestinian ⁠human rights, if you’re unwilling to speak up against the genocide in Gaza, the apartheid in the West Bank, then you are morally compromised," he said.

US Position On Israeli Settler Attacks

The United States and Israel share a close relationship stretching back decades, with military aid of a staggering $3.8 billion per year that includes funding for M4 Rifles to the Iron Dome missile defence system.

However, Israeli settler attacks have been a cause of concern for the United States and other Western countries, who regard them as illegal under international law. Successive US administrations have condemned attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, calling on Israel to prevent such violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

In 2024, former US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and entities involved in violent attacks and forced displacement of Palestinians, which were later reversed by Donald Trump. Israel argues that the West Bank is a disputed territory where there has been a Jewish presence for thousands of years, and has taken little action against such attacks.

Support for Israel has emerged as a litmus test for many Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections as many aspirants have turned from supporters to ardent critics. Khanna said he would focus on Palestinian rights as part of his 2028 presidential campaign.

About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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