“We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed, they had destroyed the school, they had destroyed that village, and we were just looking at it,” said Khanna, a progressive lawmaker from California in the U.S. House of ​Representatives.

“And these hoodlums come in with machine guns – M4, an American-made machine gun – and they detain us. They block off the road. And then they call the IDF and ​the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans,” Khanna said, referring to the Israeli military.

An aide to ⁠Khanna who was in the group, Cameron Kasky, said they were held for more than an hour and made appeals to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for help. A group ​of officers who appeared to be police eventually intervened, leading to their release, Kasky said.

  • yucandu@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    Stop using the word “settlers”. It’s a propaganda term meant to invoke an image of unclaimed, unoccupied territory.

    They’re burglars, robbers, and invaders. That’s what you’d call someone who came to your house, stole your shit, and said it was theirs.

    “Settler” is the word used to protect them.

    • FearMeAndDecay@literature.cafe
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      In my mind, bc they always call them Israeli settlers, the word has morphed to mean all the things you listed. Also bc historically whenever a country would “settle” somewhere, it usually meant “colonize.” Like when people came over and “settled” in America

      • Tyrq@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        Yeah, but let’s think about the couched language here, I can settle into that couch, but if I murder and pillage into the couch I’m not using soft language to placate fucking nazis

      • kreskin@lemmy.world
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        theyve actually changed the meaning of the word settlers from now on. I think Israelis will go down in history in a similar way as the nazis did.

  • BillCheddar@lemmy.world
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    Why the fuck do we tolerate this?

    Would it be acceptable for a fucking Mexican Cartel to kidnap congressmen who go to the border on a fact-finding trip?

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        And they have the bullshit accusation of anti Semitism to stop anyone talking about it.

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          If anyone ever calls you anti Semitic for criticizing Zionists, just tell them you have nothing at all against Akkadians, Phoenicians, Arabs, Hebrews, and Ethiopians who don’t espouse genocidal ideologies.

      • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
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        More like because Zionists enact US foreign policy and make it possible for western imperialism to destabilize the Middle East, which would otherwise oppose imperial interests. Israel is the puppet, not the US.

  • wheezy@lemmy.ml
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    4 hours ago

    US Congressman KIDNAPPED by Israeli supported terrorists in the West Bank.

    God I hate these fucking passive language titles that are only ever used to describe Israeli’s crimes.

  • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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    3 hours ago

    Democratic Rep. Khanna says Israeli settlers and IDF soldiers blockaded him in West Bank for over an hour

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    This is what I expect our leaders to do. People with far less privilege have been putting their lives on the line while congressional chuckle fucks write stern letters.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      This is what I expect our leaders to do.

      Under Biden, our leaders had the capacity to preempt the genocide, remove the Netanyahu government from power, and establish a full sovereign Palestinian state.

      This is very dangerous. And it’s definitely bringing more attention to a horror show that’s fallen out of the public eye. But it’s a far cry from what the party needs to be doing

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        That just sounds like more of the same. I want us to stop spending money on war in the middle east entirely. No more world police bullshit.

        If we stopped giving Israel money they would either figure out how to make peace with their neighbors or they’d be attacked by them. Either way the Palestine issue would be solved.

        I don’t the US will stop meddling any time soon, but it’d be nice

    • ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
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      5 hours ago

      I don’t agree with all his positions, and he does take a lot of money from big tech, but his heart is absolutely in the right place. He is a real public servant.

  • tirateimas@lemmy.pt
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    Water is wet. While US and Germany keep allowing they will continue doing whatever they want.

    • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      “If you’re unwilling to ​speak up for Palestinian ⁠human rights, if you’re unwilling to speak up against the genocide in Gaza, the apartheid in the West Bank, then you are morally compromised,” Khanna said.

      Ah yes, classic Zionist rhetoric

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        4 hours ago

        He stopped taking naked aipac money and is now taking it from a superpac that hides it.

          • BillCheddar@lemmy.world
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            All you’re going to get is links that mean nothing and a promise to provide evidence later.

            OP is a liar and IDK why you’re bothering to engage.

            • Maeve@kbin.earth
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              Op has a life with other things to do than argue with infantile minds who can’t* do an iota of critical thinking or reading. Ftfy

                • Maeve@kbin.earth
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                  51 minutes ago

                  https://forward.com/fast-forward/777256/ro-khanna-democratic-critic-of-israel-says-he-supports-zionism-and-the-right-for-israel-to-exist/

                  https://theintercept.com/2025/12/30/aipac-campaigns-elections-israel-congress/

                  “We know AIPAC knows their brand is toxic,” Newman said. “So much so, they are taking their brand out of campaigns and funneling their money through other PACs and donors such as 314 science, DMFI, several small PACs, and of course individual AIPAC members who give as a donor because the candidates can say they received money from donors, not AIPAC, to avoid association with AIPAC.”

                  AIPAC isn’t necessarily backing off under fire — it’s returning to the way it operated before it started spending directly on elections in the 2022 cycle. Prior to launching its super PAC and regular affiliated PAC, AIPAC was active in politics for more than half a century, working quietly in the halls of Congress and around Washington, D.C., to establish one of the most successful lobbying apparatuses in the country. First launched as a machine to counter negative press coverage of Israel, AIPAC quickly expanded its focus to influencing U.S. policy toward Israel. It positioned itself as a key source of information on Middle East issues for members of Congress and built out regional offices across the country, energizing a network of local pro-Israel activists. AIPAC has routinely lobbied presidents and congressional offices, funded trips to Israel for members of Congress and hosted members to address its annual policy conference, extending its reach into the halls of power without touching electoral politics.

                  “Clearly, AIPAC knows exactly how toxic they are to Democratic Party voters who see them as a right-wing extremist lobby, championing a right-wing agenda, and funded by right-wing megadonors trying to buy our elections,” said Justice Democrats spokesperson Usamah Andrabi. “Voters are not interested in politicians who say one thing to their constituents and another to billionaire Republican donors, but AIPAC excels at finding candidates eager to reject authenticity and embrace moral cowardice if it means a seat in Congress.”

            • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              You’ve shown they have a page for other people to donate money to him, not the PAC itself, and not how much he’s received. I’ll wait for actual evidence.

          • geneva_convenience@lemmy.mlOP
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            It only tracks AIPAC money though. Bernie is taking J-street money and is somehow still green. TrackAIPAC is very corrupt.

            • badgermurphy@lemmy.world
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              11 minutes ago

              Bernie remembers the old Washington politics. You can take the lobbyist money and still do whatever you want.

      • doben@lemmy.ml
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        Yes, classic liberal Zionist rhetoric.

        Is the Democratic Party no longer a pro Israel party?

        We’re a party that believes in two states and peace. (…) Why aren’t we doing the Arab Peace Plan? Two states, you have a Palestinian state, which is demilitarized, and an Israeli state. That’s what we’re for, we should be for peace and we should be for justice in this region. (…) And yes, we need a secure Israel, but not an Israel led by Netanyahu, who killed 70.000 people in Gaza. (…) I’m for the Iron Dome technology, (…) I’m glad Israel has it.

        He’s towing the party line, and the Democratic Party is very much a Zionist organisation. He doesn’t like the optics of the genocide, blames the current regime and complains about the lost support of the younger generation and that a foreign prime minister sits in the holy US-American situation room, as only US-American presidents decide which war crimes (in the name of the USA) are to be made. He what’s to reduce open pro Israel spending, as he’s advocating America First ideology.

        He’s supporting the Zionist project. Stop coping.

        • wheezy@lemmy.ml
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          Let them praise him. He doesn’t have to be an antizionist. He’s a symbol of antizionism here. That’s whats being praised.

          Like, I have my criticisms of the “two state - right to exist” Liberals. But, what did you expect progress to look like comrade? The same Liberals that spent years talking about October 7th in every sentence and “right to defend itself”. Those liberals are being forced to acknowledge the crimes of Israel. This is a win. You’re making those that advocate for Palestinians look unreasonable and irrational.

          I understand being upset at these libs. I understand why you still call him a Zionist. But, my friend, please, we have a long way to go still; criticizing a Congressman felt a fraction of a fraction of the oppression Palestinians feel every day in the West Bank. It’s not productive in this context. There are plenty of context to criticize him. The libs see this and dislike Israel. Just let that be the discussion.

          Apartheid South Africa ended when the liberals of the West were finally forced by activist and leftist into performative things just like this. This is a good sign. Let it happen.

          The liberals praising anything against Israel is good. We’re gonna have to cringe and bite our tongue when they treat Congressman as heroic for this. They are treating action against Israel as a positive. They are treating West Bank settlers as enemies. That’s amazing. Remember where we came from just three years ago; and where we are today. They’ll understand your current criticism one day. But this is not the context in which to educate them.

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            Weird plea, sorry. This post has more than enough praise for the guy. I’m merely stating facts to rebuke naive or false narratives and to stop Zionist normalization. It’s not my job to appease Liberals or refrain from stating inconvenient truths.

            Some Libs might see this and break through. Let it happen.

            I don’t give a shit about congressmen in the imperialist core and I’m certainly not going to support controlled opposition of a system I reject outright. This system has to end. Fuck off.

        • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          We could use more ‘Zionists’ that denounce genocide, apartheid, and go to Palestine to draw attention to the issue 🤷‍♂️ I’m not impressed by you trotting out the party position and blaming it on him personally, especially when he’s specifically calling out his own party in the article I guess you didn’t read. What has he said and done that’s Zionist?

        • Maeve@kbin.earth
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          This is why people don’t leave their abusers. They keep listening to what they say, instead of watching what they do.

    • Hell_nah_brother@thelemmy.club
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      Next up we’re gonna have my little boi Bernie telling us it’s wrong to own stolen land. Ehi ehi, why aren’t you clapping him?