NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., about his current journey to the occupied West Financial institution and short-term detention by Israeli settlers and troopers.
Transcript
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, says he was detained for a couple of hour by armed Israeli settlers after which by Israeli troopers, all throughout a go to to the occupied West Financial institution final week. Khanna says he was solely allowed to proceed continuing after contacting the U.S. Embassy in Israel. U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, later known as Khanna’s journey a, quote, “stunt.” And he mentioned that Khanna went to a army managed space with out prior clearance. Israeli officers have additionally countered Khanna’s model of this entire story. So we invited Khanna to attempt to clear issues up. Welcome again to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, Congressman.
RO KHANNA: Thanks for having me.
CHANG: OK. So that you name this go to to the occupied West Financial institution – in your individual phrases – a, quote, “Palestinian-led journey.” Why was happening a particularly Palestinian-led journey essential to you?
KHANNA: I have been to Israel thrice earlier than. I’ve met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Prime Minister Bennett, many Israeli officers. And I had been to Ramallah, the place I met with President Abbas. However I needed to see firsthand the occupation, the circumstances on the bottom within the occupied West Financial institution. And it was essential to get the voices of Palestinians. And that is why I went on a visit to the West Financial institution that was Palestinian-led. Now, we knowledgeable the American Embassy. We knowledgeable the Israeli Embassy.
CHANG: Oh. Nicely, there’s some pushback on that, truly. Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. says you refused Israel’s provide to coordinate your go to there, and that’s the reason the Israeli army did not instantly permit you passage. What’s your response to that?
KHANNA: Nicely, they’re right that I did not permit for the coordination, that means that Israel needed me to come back meet with Israeli authorities officers and meet with Israeli officers. I mentioned, no. This can be a Palestinian-led journey to the West Financial institution, however they knew I used to be there. They helped escort me…
CHANG: They had been absolutely conscious…
KHANNA: Yeah.
CHANG: …In your thoughts.
KHANNA: They helped escort me by the airport. I imply, they knew I used to be a member of Congress. They acquired me by in a short time – by the airport after I landed in Ben Gurion. They knew that I used to be going to the West Financial institution. They had been absolutely conscious. They only had been upset that – it is unconventional {that a} member of Congress would not go to Israel and does the Israeli authorities or APEC itinerary. And I needed to do a Palestinian-led tour that is…
CHANG: Nicely, Israeli officers weren’t the one ones upset. I imply, how do you reply to folks like Ambassador Huckabee, who says this entire journey was only a political stunt in your half?
KHANNA: He is a Donald Trump acolyte who clearly has supported a better Israel and helps annexation. So, you already know, he clearly would not agree. However the fascinating factor is the deputy chief of missions, David Brownstein, is the one who helped save our lives. He – we had been on the telephone with him once we had been on the van and once we had been detained. And he is the one who known as the Israeli authorities to lastly get the police to allow us to go, 75 to 90 minutes out. So, clearly, the American Embassy was additionally conscious that I used to be there, and I actually recognize what David Brownstein did. I love what he did.
CHANG: Can we discuss extra about your account of what occurred initially? So that you say that you simply had been stopped by Israeli settlers whereas touring in a automobile to a small village. Inform me why had been you heading there initially?
KHANNA: Nicely, we needed to see the Zanuta village. It was destroyed by Yinon Levi, who’s an extremist settler – nonetheless free. They usually had destroyed the village and the elementary college. And we had been taking pictures of that. By the best way, the location we had been at three, 4 months in the past, different Congresspeople had been there – Congressman Casten, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. And on this half, the one that took us there, Nadav, an Israeli citizen, from Breaking the Silence.
CHANG: A peace activist. Sure.
KHANNA: Yeah. And it was not a restricted zone. In reality, even the IDF now has admitted that they had been fallacious. It was not a restricted…
CHANG: Oh. OK.
KHANNA: …Zone.
CHANG: So let me simply – I am simply making an attempt to image what occurred. So your automobile is continuing in direction of this village, Zanuta.
KHANNA: No. We had been parked there.
CHANG: You had been parked there. And what occurred subsequent as soon as the automobile was stopped?
KHANNA: Then these extremist settlers got here – two of them – certainly one of them with a M4 gun. The opposite one additionally armed. I used to be advised, get within the van. All of us acquired into the van. They parked their automobile proper in entrance of our van, so we could not exit ‘trigger there was a single, filth highway that went as much as this – the village. They usually began brandishing their gun, the M4. They usually – once we went and advised them – our interpreter and safety guard – that we had been with the People and the American Embassy, they type of laughed. They mentioned that does not matter. And this went on for about 20, half-hour earlier than the IDF got here.
CHANG: After which what occurred when the IDF got here, the Israeli army?
KHANNA: Nicely, when the IDF got here, to start with, the settlers known as different settler mates of theirs. So there have been different automobiles that began blockading us in. After which there have been about 4 feminine officers. We mentioned, OK, clear this in order that an American delegation can get by, and so they refused to. They mentioned, no. We’re…
CHANG: Who refused?
KHANNA: …Right here – the IDF officers. They usually refused to clear the trail. They refused to inform the settlers to depart and allow us to by. They usually parked their automobile additionally blocking, additional, our exit and mentioned we simply have to remain there, and so they’re not going to permit us to maneuver.
CHANG: Nicely, the Israeli army assertion about this entire incident denied that their troopers had been concerned in blocking the highway. They usually say that they rapidly dispersed civilians and reopened the highway. What’s your response to that assertion?
KHANNA: They now admit that we had been in a zone that we had been allowed to be in. They now admit that the – their troopers had been parked there and didn’t disperse the settlers and that they had been additional blocking us. They usually’re now claiming that they had been simply ready for orders from the police, and that is why they’d detained us. Nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t change the info that there have been unlawful settlers that detained us and that the IDF sided with the settlers, because the videotape exhibits.
CHANG: Proper. I simply wish to level out there may be video of this incident, and there are witnesses who corroborate your account. Now, you say the aim of this three-day journey was to satisfy with Palestinians residing underneath Israeli occupation. And Congressman, in spite of everything that has occurred to you and your crew, what’s your general takeaway from this expertise?
KHANNA: That the Israelis lie, that this authorities that lied about genocide has no downside mendacity in regards to the detention of People, that there’s a vanity of energy and that they are completely out of contact with the truth that People underneath 50 have completely misplaced confidence in Israel. And they will be in for a impolite awakening when there is a new technology of energy in energy in America ’26 and 2028. And that the…
CHANG: Nicely, I used to be simply going to ask you. I imply, what could be accomplished to invoke that impolite awakening, as you set it? Is there a coverage answer that might assist that individuals in Congress might help effectuate?
KHANNA: Nicely, they will lose all help, and we will cease army gross sales. Massie Modification is a vote on ending help. It might not cross now, however it definitely will cross within the subsequent administration. They are going to lose army gross sales. They are going to have an administration name them an apartheid state and name them a state that has dedicated genocide. They are going to lose our help within the United Nations. And we should not be giving cash to Israel that is utilizing it to detain People.
CHANG: Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California, thanks very a lot to your time.
KHANNA: Thanks.
CHANG: And we’ll word that we did request remark from the Israel Protection Forces – that is the Israeli army – for clarification on their assertion following this interview. Now we have not but heard again from them. And we can even word Israel strongly denies all allegations of genocide.
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