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Ro Khanna releases first video from West Bank visit
The video follows Khanna's claim that armed Israeli settlers detained his delegation for 75 minutes near the village of Khirbet Zanuta.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 13, Jul 2026
- 13:48 EDT
- 101
Ro Khanna in West Bank / X/ @RoKhanna
Congressman Ro Khanna on July 13 released the first video from his recent West Bank visit, saying Americans should hear Palestinians' stories about life under Israeli occupation.
In a post on X, the California Democrat wrote, "What happened to me in the West Bank was an outrage. But it is nothing compared to what Palestinians face every day. It is time to share their stories that American politics have silenced and ignored. This is our first video about Palestinians we met."
Also Read: Ro Khanna says he was 'detained' by Israeli settlers in West Bank
The video documents Khanna's three-day visit to Palestinian towns and villages, where he said he met residents to hear firsthand accounts of the challenges they face under Israeli occupation.
What happened to me in the West Bank was an outrage. But it is nothing compared to what Palestinians face every day.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 13, 2026
It is time to share their stories that American politics have silenced and ignored. This is our first video about Palestinians we met. pic.twitter.com/oHO1LR40sa
"For decades, American politicians have made the trek to Tel Aviv while not taking the time to cross over and hear from Palestinians about the actual facts on the ground," Khanna says. "Many Palestinians are desperate to be seen, to be heard, and to live with dignity."
In the video Palestinian residents and local officials describe what they say are longstanding restrictions on access to land, water and freedom of movement.
One Palestinian resident tells Khanna that settler violence predates Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, saying a member of his family had been killed before then. Another local official says it was the first time an American member of Congress had visited Beit Sahour.
A local mayor featured in the video urges visiting U.S. lawmakers to witness conditions firsthand.
"All the congressmen should come and see the basic three stuff that we want," he says. "We want our land, we want water, and we want the freedom of movement."
Khanna says he will continue sharing the stories of Palestinians he met during the visit over the coming weeks "because it is time that Palestinians have full equal rights in their own state."
The video follows Khanna's account last week of being confronted by armed Israeli settlers during his visit to Khirbet Zanuta. The Israel Defense Forces disputed parts of Khanna's account, saying troops and police responded after receiving reports that Israeli civilians were blocking foreign nationals near the village, dispersed the settlers and denied that soldiers detained or blocked Khanna's delegation.
Khanna has maintained that Israeli soldiers sided with the settlers during the confrontation.
The democrat from California has become one of the most vocal Democratic lawmakers calling for greater scrutiny of Israeli government policies amid the war in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank. He has repeatedly called for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, a ceasefire and a negotiated two-state solution.
Violence in the occupied West Bank has risen sharply since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
The United Nations and international human rights organizations have documented an increase in attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities, while Israel says it is responding to a rise in militant attacks against Israelis.
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