U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat considering a 2028 presidential run, said armed Israeli settlers detained his delegation for more than an hour during a visit to the West Bank on Thursday. Khanna said the settlers were carrying American-made M4 rifles when they blocked the group's vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta. A staff member, Cameron Kasky, said the delegation contacted the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem for assistance while held.
The Israeli military confirmed it intervened after receiving a report of settlers blocking a road in the area. The New York Times first reported the incident, which was witnessed by a photojournalist.
The episode comes amid shifting American attitudes, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing Democratic support for Israel falling to 22 percent in May 2026 from 59 percent in 2018. More than 700,000 Israelis live in settlements across the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, and roughly 15 percent of those settlers are American citizens.