US Congressman says "arrogant" Israeli settlers detained him in West Bank

US Congressman Ro Khanna says he and his delegation were detained by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the occupied West Bank, despite the settlers and Israeli forces being informed that an American congressman and other US citizens were inside the vehicle. Khanna said Israeli forces sided with the settlers instead of protecting the American delegation. Khanna said the group was surrounded by settlers carrying US-made M4 machine guns while visiting the Palestinian hamlet of Khirbet Zanuta to witness the aftermath of settler attacks. He said the armed settlers blocked their vehicle for more than an hour before calling the Israeli military. Speaking after the incident, Khanna said the settlers and Israeli soldiers laughed after being told there was an American congressman on board. He described the settlers as "hoodlums" carrying machine guns and said the IDF was "on their side, not on the side of the Americans." He described the incident as evidence of "the arrogance of power", "total impunity", and "a toxic culture of oppression." Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at [email protected] Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye