Israeli settlers detain an American deputy during a visit to the West Bank - Sarmad

(Royters) – U.S. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said that Israeli settlers armed with American-made rifles detained him during his recent visit to the West Bank, noting that the trip gave him an opportunity to witness the real impact of the Israeli occupation on people’s lives.

Reuters quoted the Democratic lawmaker as saying from a Palestinian village that settlers carrying M-4 rifles surrounded the car he was riding in the previous day during a tour of an area in the southern West Bank where residents are subjected to repeated attacks by settlers.

Khanna, a U.S. House Representative from California, the Golden State of America, said: “We were in a village destroyed by Israeli settlers. They destroyed the school and destroyed that village, and we were just inspecting it.”

He added: “Then these criminals arrived with M-4 rifles, which are American-made weapons, and detained us. They blocked the road. Then they contacted the Israeli military, and the occupying Israeli army was on their side, not on the side of Americans.”

Cameron Caskey, one of Khanna’s aides who was part of the group, said they were detained for more than an hour and pleaded with the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for help. Caskey added that a group of officers, who appeared to be police, eventually intervened, leading to their release.

The Israeli military stated that army and police forces intervened after receiving a report that settlers had blocked vehicles near Khirbet Zanutta, a small Palestinian village whose residents were forcibly displaced after violent attacks by settlers following the October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa Flood events.

The occupying army said: “Upon arrival, the forces dispersed Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue on their way.”