Israeli envoy accuses Rep. Khanna of staged provocation

Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli envoy to the U.S., accused Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) of staging a "cheap, anticipated provocation" after Khanna was briefly stopped in a restricted military zone. Leiter stated that Khanna ignored offers to coordinate his visit and that the IDF had no prior knowledge of his presence when soldiers halted his vehicle. Khanna, traveling with activists and journalists, was released once his identity was verified. Leiter denied allegations of threats and criticized Khanna for using the incident to promote "genocide" and "apartheid" libels. Khanna, however, claimed he was detained by "Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4s," and that the IDF sided with them.