An Open Letter to Congressman Ro Khanna

Following Ro Khanna's claims that he was "detained" by "settlers" in the West Bank, HonestReporting writes the congressman an open letter.

By HonestReporting Staff July 13, 2026

Dear Congressman Khanna,

We saw you recently visited Israel. We are usually thrilled when a member of the United States Congress takes the time and effort to visit the region and better understand it. We’ve found that with more knowledge about Israel and its neighbors, open-minded people become more pro-Israel.

While you claim your visit was for “fact-finding,” we all know this was really a trip dedicated to something else entirely – generating as much anti-Israel propaganda as possible. We understand: you have higher political ambitions, and you’re just playing the political game. 

While on your propaganda gathering tour, you claim you were detained in the West Bank by assault rifle-toting “settlers.’’ While we doubt you truly have any idea where the individuals live, it seems all Israelis can be dehumanized under the rubric of “settler” for the right audience. 

However, we now know this incident occurred in a very recently reopened closed military zone, an area those who stopped you, including the police, believed was still closed and therefore your presence raised suspicion. This is something that could have easily been avoided had you taken the military up on their offer to coordinate and avoid any such confusion or incidents. You refused, as it would have interfered with the spectacle. The military declares zones closed to prevent danger to life and limb, for Israelis, Palestinians, and yes, even for visitors looking to score cheap political points at Israel’s expense.

Your guide was well known to the IDF for repeatedly trying to enter the same zone while it was still closed and cause problems. So, this wasn’t a wrong turn or simply trying to learn more about the complexities of the region. It was a designed provocation, calculated to generate clicks and outrage. You knew exactly where you were and what you were doing.

Refusing to coordinate with the security authority in a disputed area shows a shocking lack of concern for the safety of IDF soldiers, yourself, and your own staff. What would happen if an extreme anti-American member of Knesset travelled in sensitive areas of the United States to get some clickbait for their base? Would you be outraged if U.S. security personnel confirmed their presence for the safety of everyone involved?

When you first ran for office, you were happy to engage enthusiastically with those you now demonize. Clearly, you’ve studied history, and you’ve learned that if a relatively obscure populist, whose morals aren’t exactly anchored, wants to gain greater prominence, the fastest way is to find an “other” – an easy enemy to attack and scapegoat. And, as it happens, your gaze fell where so many have over the last couple of millennia – the Jews.

We know, we know: not the Jews. The “Zionists,” not the Jews. The world’s only Jewish state, but certainly not the Jews. Whatever sanitizes an age-old hatred for modern times.

The problem is you’re playing with actual lives. Israeli lives, Jews, Arabs, Druze, Circassians alike, as well as Palestinians. And, as we all know, if you are successful in destroying the U.S.-Israel alliance, you will place many American lives at risk as well. No matter, there are elections to win and personal ambitions to fulfill.  

Now that you are back in the United States, you have decided to have a public conversation to explain your version of exactly what happened. That makes sense. Politicians go on popular news shows and podcasts all the time. The problem? You’re having this conversation with Hasan Piker. The same Hasan Piker who said Hamas is “a thousand times better than Israel,” who laughed watching footage of the Bibas family’s coffins, calls Orthodox Jews inbred and incited the murder of capitalists.

“Let the streets soak in their red capitalist blood,” said Piker.

Piker is an interesting friend for someone who, like you, is reportedly worth north of $45 million. We’re sure this will be a very fair discussion aimed at just the facts.

The timing of this latest anti-Israel rant is also quite curious. Could it have anything to do with trying to distract from your support of Graham Platner? This, of course, included sharing a stage with Mr. Platner after the reporting that revealed his “unsettling actions” towards women. This says nothing of your full-throated support when it seems you only believed he had a prominent Nazi tattoo. Sure, once it became too politically unpalatable, you dropped him, but really, there were no signs that this might not be someone worthy of a seat in the United States Senate? Seems you’re using the Jewish state to distract from your own failures and poor judgment; where have we seen that kind of behavior before?

It appears your time in Israel was also part of laying the groundwork for a Presidential campaign. Longshot as it may be, you just placed your own staff and the soldiers of an allied army at risk for a political stunt. You believe an accused rapist with a Nazi tattoo should be a senator, and your new best friend wants to murder all capitalists and absolutely loves designated foreign terrorist organizations. This is the judgment of someone who aspires to the world’s most powerful office?

It’s certainly possible we’ve entirely misinterpreted all your antics since October 7. Maybe you can enlighten us? Much like your friend Piker, we have a podcast. If you’d like to come on and explain your gross lack of judgment, we’d be happy to hear you out. But, sadly, much as you refused to meet freed hostages and October 7 survivors on your anti-Israel political tour, somehow we doubt you’ll have the courage to speak with us.

Sincerely,

The Staff of HonestReporting

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© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025

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