‘High-level sources’ say Khanna’s description of Judea and Samaria incident didn’t happen, Gottheimer tells JNS

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) criticized fellow House Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) for what Gottheimer called a “publicity stunt” regarding Khanna’s claim of being detained by armed “settlers” in Judea and Samaria. Gottheimer stated, “I’ve heard a lot, including from high-level sources, that what the congressman is claiming happened isn’t what happened.” Khanna had told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he and his party were “detained for about 20 minutes, fearful of our lives,” and that the IDF, upon arrival, sided with the settlers.

• Gottheimer alleged that Khanna did not coordinate his visit with the Israeli government and brought a news crew, suggesting the incident was “just for opportunistic purposes.”
• Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States, confirmed that Khanna ignored suggestions to coordinate his trip with the Israeli government and meet with Oct. 7 massacre survivors.
• Former congresswoman Kathy Manning also described Khanna's visit as having “all the hallmarks of a political stunt rather than a genuine effort to understand this complex conflict.”
• Khanna, a potential 2028 presidential candidate who has accused Israel of “genocide,” maintained, “What happened to me in the West Bank was an outrage. But it is nothing compared to what Palestinians face every day.”