A U.S. congressman reports having been detained by Israeli settlers in the West Bank

Los Angeles.- U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna denounced this Saturday that armed Israeli settlers recently detained him during a visit to the occupied West Bank, in an act he described as the “arrogance of power” that has not been held accountable.

Khanna, a Democrat from California, posted on his X account a segment of an interview in which he denounced the incident that occurred last Wednesday when, together with a delegation, he was visiting an area in the southern West Bank.

The U.S. House representative explained that he was detained with the delegation even though a translator informed them that there were Americans on the stopped bus.

“I saw the arrogance in the eyes of those settlers—young people of 21 and 22 years old armed—who were laughing for having detained us,” the congressman reproached in the video.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the settlers, alleged members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), are funded by American taxpayers.

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“They showed no respect whatsoever for the fact that they were detaining U.S. citizens or for the presence of a member of the U.S. Congress on the bus,” he added.

He is not the first congressman to visit the area

Khanna, who has criticized the lack of accountability for Israel regarding the aid the U.S. has provided, became the first U.S. congressman to be detained in that region, after U.S. politicians from both parties have visited the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza.

House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the territory in September 2025, and Democrats Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley also toured the area last year.

“It is the arrogance of power: a power that has not been held accountable, that enjoys total impunity and that has created a toxic culture of oppression,” insisted Khanna, who represents California’s 17th congressional district, which covers much of Silicon Valley.

Born to immigrant parents from India, Khanna is known for his progressive stances on economic policy, technology regulation, manufacturing, and innovation.