Lefty California Rep. Ro Khanna callously ignored an invitation to meet former Israeli hostages and survivors of the horrific Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack during a visit to the Holy Land this week, a source familiar with the planning told The Post.
Staff for Khanna (D-Calif.) first got in touch with the Israeli Embassy July 2, and claimed that it was a private trip, and that he wouldn’t be meeting with Israeli or Palestinian politicians, according to the source.
On Monday, the Israelis offered a meeting with Oct. 7 survivors and former hostages to Khanna’s team, but they blew them off, the source said.
The Israelis followed up the next day and Khanna’s team never got back to them, the source said.
“Congressman Khanna didn’t come to understand the situation — he came looking for a headline. Israel went out of its way to provide Congressman Khanna with access to communities that reflected the complexity of the situation, he chose a different path,” the source said.
Over 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 250 taken captive during Hamas’ barbaric Oct. 7 terrorist attack, some were held hostage for as long as 843 days.
The Israelis also offered for Khanna to meet with Druze communities in the Golan Heights, representatives from Israeli border communities and to set up a briefing on aid getting into Gaza, but the congressman never took them up on it, the source added.
Khanna claimed he was detained by armed Israeli settlers brandishing M4 rifles during a tour of the West Bank in a post on X Saturday, which contained video and pictures of the incident.
He went on to state that Israeli Defense Forces later continued blocking the road after the settlers left, and that he was only able to continue his journey after he called the US embassy and Israeli police.
“They made a huge mistake. You will be hearing more soon,” Khanna threatened on X.
Another source who was familiar with Khanna’s preparations for the trip, claimed that the Congressman was trying to “ride the anti-Israel wave” of his party and repeatedly rebuffed Israeli efforts to help coordinate his trip into the West Bank.
Khanna, who once touted his support for Israel, has recently turned into a sharp critic of the Jewish state and has been linked with multiple allegedly antisemitic figures.
Streamer Hasan Piker posted on X that he would be speaking with Khanna Monday about the alleged incident. Piker has called Orthodox Jews “inbred” and said that Hamas is “1,000 times” better than Israel.
The California Democrat who has floated a presidential run in 2028, endorsed embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who sported a Nazi tattoo and recently dropped out of the race following a rape allegation.
Khanna’s staff later clarified with Israeli officials that the visit, which began Wednesday, was a “campaign trip,” and said he would be paying for his visit with campaign funds.
A spokesperson for Khanna said their team flagged the trip to House leadership, the American and Israeli embassies in advance, and that they were authorized to use campaign funds for the trip.
“We appreciate [Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem] David Brownstein, whose intervention saved lives,” the spokesperson said, referring to the incident with the Israeli settlers.
The spokesperson did not clarify whose life was in danger, and did not respond to The Post’s questions regarding a meeting with Israeli hostages or Oct. 7 survivors.
