The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have called on members of Congress to publicly condemn the reported arrest of US Representative Ro Khanna by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank this week.
Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during his visit, which he cast as an unfiltered look at the human toll of Israeli occupation as he weighs a 2028 presidential run.
In a statement on Saturday, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said every member of Congress should condemn the detention of an American lawmaker by armed Israeli settlers in illegally-occupied territory.
"If an American elected representative can be stopped, intimidated and prevented from traveling freely, imagine what Palestinians endure every day without the protection of congressional office or international attention," Awad said.
"Congress must reject settler violence, oppose Israel’s illegal occupation and annexation policies, and ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to facilitate ongoing Israeli human rights abuses."
The California Democratic representative said his group’s van was surrounded by settlers wielding M4 rifles a day earlier while touring a part of the southern West Bank where residents face frequent settler attacks.
"Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine. When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake," he wrote on X.
The US is Israel’s closest ally and has offered it unwavering support over the past few years, as Israel launched a genocidal campaign on the Gaza Strip and continues to annex West Bank territory .
Violence by Israeli settlers has also spiked in the West Bank. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by settlers and Israeli forces since the start of the Gaza war.
Despite Washington’s support, there is growing frustration towards Israel within American political circles, both in the Democratic and Republican parties.
The Biden administration began imposing sanctions in February 2024 under an executive order targeting individuals and groups responsible for undermining peace and security in the West Bank. The US also introduced visa restrictions in late 2023.
Several Western states including Britain, France, Norway, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers or extremist Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich over their violent anti-Palestinian rhetoric.
Lawmakers from other Western countries such as the UK and France, and the EU, have reported being harassed by settlers during visits to the West Bank.
In 2019, Israel barred US Representatives Rashid Tlaib – who is of Palestinian heritage – and Ilhan Omar from entering Israel and the West Bank ahead of a planned visit.