Ro Khanna detained briefly by Israeli settlers in Palestine

Washington, Jul 11 (PTI) Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, a 2028 US Presidential aspirant, on Saturday said he was detained by gun-wielding Israeli settlers while on a visit to Palestine. Khanna, a Democrat from California, was visiting on Wednesday the ruins of Khirbet Zanuta, a Bedouin village in the southern West Bank that was abandoned after attacks from Israeli settlers when the incident took place. “Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4S, detained me and other Americans on my trip to Palestine. When the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) arrived, they sided with the settlers and continued our detention. They made a huge mistake,” Khanna said in a post on X. Khanna’s experience was reported by a photographer of The New York Times, who was accompanying the Congressman. “I felt powerless in that situation, which is not an easy thing, as I have a lot of privilege in life,” the New York Times quoted Khanna as saying. The report said 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,” Khanna said. US politicians – Democrats and Republicans alike – have been visiting the West Bank from time to time since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas started a war in the region. Republican Mike Johnson, the House Speaker, and Democrats Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley visited the region last year. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is also on a visit to Israel. Emanuel, who briefly served as the White House Chief of Staff during President Barack Obama’s tenure, is also considered a presidential aspirant. PTI SKU AMS