Democratic Rep. Khanna says Israeli settlers and IDF soldiers blockaded him in West Bank for over an hour

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California said soldiers with the Israel Defense Forces joined Israeli settlers with American-made rifles in blockading him for over an hour during a trip to the West Bank earlier this week.

Speaking with CNN on Saturday, Khanna called on the Israeli government to prosecute the IDF soldiers and the settlers.

The incident followed a visit to an elementary school that was destroyed by extremist Israeli settlers, Khanna said.

“I see these young men brandishing M4s, circling, circling our vans, cursing us out in Hebrew and Arabic, which I didn’t understand, and filming us, laughing at us, wiping our windows while doing that, blockading us,” Khanna said.

The congressman said he and his team then contacted the US Embassy and waited for IDF soldiers. But when four IDF soldiers arrived at the scene, they sided with the settlers, Khanna claimed.

“And that’s when I got actually nervous and scared that there could be some incident,” Khanna said.

“Our security person goes and talks to the IDF soldiers and they said, ‘We don’t care that there’s an American in the car. We don’t care about a congressman. We don’t care what the American embassy is saying,’” Khanna said.

The West Bank has seen a surge of settler violence – some with instances of Israeli soldiers standing idly by – in conjunction with the Israeli government rapidly expanding settlements throughout the territory.

Four settlers were arrested after an attack on CNN and other journalists in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to Israeli Police.

Khanna said he and his team were ultimately freed after communication between the US Embassy and a high-level official in the Israeli government. Both the US Embassy and Israeli government were notified of the congressman’s trip ahead of his visit, he said. CNN has reached out to the Israeli government, the White House and the State Department for comment.

The IDF said its personnel didn’t participate in the blockade.

“Upon receiving the report, IDF troops were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the blocked road. The IDF soldiers operating in the area did not take part in blocking the road,” the IDF said in a statement.

US support of Israel has emerged as a flashpoint in the midterm elections, particularly within the Democratic Party. Khanna, a progressive lawmaker who is eyeing a 2028 presidential bid, has been critical of Israel and has described its actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks as a “genocide.”

“I know in this country there’s a lot of understandable debate and emotion about the situation in the Middle East,” Khanna said. “But I believe any American, no matter how much they care and love Israel, if they go and spend a few days in the West Bank and see the reality, would be horrified.”

US Rep. Ro Khanna delivers remarks during a National Press Club Headliners Newsmaker event on April 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Khanna said he wanted to travel to the West Bank because “it is important for an American politician to have an uncurated, extensive look at the occupation through the eyes of Palestinians.”

The congressman said the US Embassy was “very helpful.” He added that he hasn’t spoken with the White House or the State Department, but plans to ask them to “get a comment about what the Israeli government plans to do with these four IDF soldiers.”