After Imploding on Platner, Ro Khanna Claims He Was 'Detained' by Israeli Settlers in West Bank

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Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) had his promotion of the Democrat nominee for Senate in Maine, Graham Platner, blow up on him after Platner withdrew in the wake of a rape allegation.

It made all the people, like Khanna, who had supported Platner despite the many things that had already been alleged against him, look even worse.

New: Watch Ro Khanna Twist Himself Into a Pretzel on Platner, With Surprising Take on Allegations

Now, Khanna is posting about an incident he says he had in Israel.

Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine.
When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention.
They made a huge mistake.
You will be hearing more soon. https://t.co/rZw8bRAn64 pic.twitter.com/4z50Ye4I7K
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 11, 2026

Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine. When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake. You will be hearing more soon

Here's what the NY Times says about it in their story, in part.

The Israeli settlers had guns and Representative Ro Khanna was scared.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Khanna, the congressman from Silicon Valley who is exploring a 2028 presidential run, was visiting the ruins of Khirbet Zanuta, a tiny Palestinian Bedouin village in the southern West Bank that was abandoned after escalating attacks from settlers and then demolished.
Suddenly, a car of men holding guns pulled up and blocked the narrow road out of the village. The men began taunting the congressman and his team, swearing at them in Hebrew and Arabic and kicking the tires of their minibus, according to accounts, photographs and video footage from Mr. Khanna, an aide and his security guard. A photographer for The New York Times traveling in a different vehicle also saw the interaction. Soon, a Jeep with more men arrived.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) arrived. Khanna claims they continued to hold them there, that the whole incident lasted about 90 minutes. The IDF disputes that they blocked them, saying they cleared the road and helped resolve the situation. So it was, if you will, the Israeli government that got him out of the situation.

According to NBC, they said the Israel Police noted it was also a "Closed Military Zone" where civilians weren't allowed.

At a time when Khanna justifiably looks really bad over Platner, the congressman goes to a problematic area on the West Bank and just happens to have the New York Times traveling with him. And they make an announcement in the second sentence of their article that he has aspirations for 2028? And he needs a distraction from the Platner debacle, something that's likely to make him look better to the left?

"I'm strongly considering it," he told Reuters on camera of a potential U.S. presidential run, "and I'm more resolved to consider it after this trip. We need a new moral direction in our party. A new moral vision that respects the dignity and human rights of people around the world."

Oh, and check out this truly "full of himself" take he gave to the NY Times.

He also left with some parting words for the Israeli government.
“Free advice to the Israelis: It’s not a good idea to detain long-shot presidential candidates,” he said. “Not how you’re going to build good will with the next American president, whoever that is.”

After Platner, that "long-shot" chance went on the critical list.

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