U.S. Ambassador and Lawmaker Clash Over West Bank Visit and Embassy Coordination

JERUSALEM — A high-profile visit by U.S. Representative Ro Khanna to the West Bank has ignited a sharp diplomatic and political dispute, with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accusing the California Democrat of lying about coordinating his trip with the American embassy.

The controversy centers on an incident last week in the West Bank—often referred to by its Biblical names Judea and Samaria, or the Biblical heartland of Israel—where Khanna and his delegation claim they were aggressively detained by Israeli settlers. The incident has quickly escalated into a broader debate over diplomatic protocols, security coordination, and the growing divide within the Democratic Party over U.S. policy toward Israel.

Huckabee took to social media to reject the account presented by Khanna and his delegation. Writing on X, the ambassador stated: “The left-wing activist who set up this stunt says ‘The embassy is involved.’ That is NOT TRUE. We did NOT know a member of Congress was coming. We would have said don’t go to restricted zone. As FACTS come out, it’s not helping the desired narrative. Not ‘held at gunpoint.”‘

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks to Fox News Digital during an interview at the American embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. (Yoav Dudkevitch/ TPS-IL)

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Khanna disputed Huckabee’s assertion, calling it “just false” and claiming the ambassador was “misinformed.” Khanna maintained that his team had informed the Israeli embassy prior to the trip.

In a direct response to Huckabee on X, Khanna wrote: “Ambassador, we have always had a relationship of mutual respect despite political differences. The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has now clarified it was not a restricted zone and Israeli papers have confirmed this. Deputy Chief of Mission David Brownstein in our embassy did a superb job in getting us out. We are safe because of him. Please thank him. We obviously notified our Embassy and Israel’s embassy about the trip given we were in constant touch with David.”

Conflicting Accounts of the Detainment

According to Khanna, the delegation was blocked for 75 minutes on Wednesday in the area of Khirbet Zanuta. “There were these extremist settlers who parked their car in front of our van denying us exit — there was only one road — they brandished an M4 gun and kicked our tires,” Khanna said, calling for the prosecution of the settlers and an investigation into the responding IDF officers.

A handout image allegedly shows Israeli settlers blocking the convoy of U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., his press team says, in Khirbet Zanuta during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 8, 2026. (U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna’s Press Team/Handout via Reuters)

However, the IDF and local analysts presented a different timeline of the event. An IDF spokesperson stated that soldiers were dispatched to the Khirbet Zanuta area following reports that foreign nationals had entered an area that was believed to be a closed military zone. At the same time, the military received reports of a road being blocked by Israeli civilians.

“Upon arriving at the scene, the soldiers distanced the Israeli civilians away from the area and waited for confirmation that there was no security concern regarding the foreign nationals present at the location, and awaited confirmation that the area was not, in fact, a closed military zone,” the IDF spokesperson said. “The convoy was then allowed to continue on its way. This process lasted several minutes.”

The IDF emphasized that there was no physical confrontation or violence, and noted that the armed individual at the scene was an off-duty IDF soldier on leave. Crucially, the military confirmed that the visit had not been coordinated with the IDF in advance, adding that “prior coordination of diplomatic visits is intended to prevent incidents of this nature.”

An Israeli security official, speaking to the Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), corroborated this, stating that foreign legislative delegations visiting sensitive areas of the West Bank typically coordinate with Israeli authorities to assess security conditions and logistical arrangements. “They did not coordinate the visit,” the official said.

Eitan Fischberger, an Israeli Mideast analyst, posted footage on X that he argued debunked Khanna’s claims of a violent detainment, calling the video—which was released by activists on Khanna’s team—a “self-own.” Khanna rejected Fischberger’s post as “false,” counter-claiming on social media that “when the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention.”

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speaks with a Palestinian resident of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 9, 2026. (Reuters/Ammar Awad)

Domestic and International Backlash

The dispute has exposed deep divisions within the Democratic Party regarding Israel, particularly in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans. Centrist Democrats have criticized progressive members for what they view as posturing that undermines bilateral relations.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., criticized Khanna on X, writing: “What’s appalling is that Ro ignored requests to meet 10/7 survivors and hostages, or to visit sites of the 10/7 terrorist attacks. Instead, riding the anti-Zionist wave, he used the trip as a presidential campaign cameo.”

Khanna defended his itinerary, explaining that the trip was specifically intended as a “Palestinian-led tour through the West Bank” to gain a different perspective after having visited Israel three times previously, during which he met with hostage families. He dismissed Gottheimer’s “campaign cameo” accusation, saying, “I do not know what he was talking about.”

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., peaks with a Palestinian resident of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 9, 2026. (Reuters/Ammar Awad)

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, also issued a lengthy response on X, stating that Khanna had been offered comprehensive coordination of his schedule with the State of Israel to avoid misunderstandings but chose to ignore it, while also failing to coordinate with the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.

“To add insult to injury, the Congressman used this instance as an opportunity to tout ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid’ libels to the press, propelling himself to the center of yet another anti-Israel media frenzy,” Leiter wrote, describing the incident as a “cheap, anticipated provocation.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter (Getty Images)

Khanna indicated that his office has since contacted Leiter’s office to accept an offer to meet, expressing a desire to “turn this incident into something constructive.” When asked about Leiter’s accusation of defaming Israel, Khanna replied, “That’s what I believe happened, and that’s what the U.N. believed happened.”

Khanna clarified his broader geopolitical stance, stating: “I want to be clear that I unequivocally reject Hamas’ terrorism and believe Israel has a right to exist.” While he condemned Hamas’ charter as “violent antisemitism” and labeled Hamas a terrorist organization, he declined to call it a genocidal group. He also affirmed that he believes Iran is a state-sponsor of terrorism.

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, characterized the trip as a political maneuver ahead of the 2028 presidential election cycle. “Let’s be honest, this was a publicity stunt,” Diker said, adding that some progressive candidates are exploiting “Israel cancellation” and the “inversion of legitimacy” between Israel and Palestinian leadership as a domestic political tool, rather than focusing on broader regional security threats.