Rep. Ro Khanna Criticized for Stance on Hamas Attacks

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) faced criticism from some left-wing activists after he declined to endorse the Hamas attacks on Israel that occurred on October 7, 2023, during an interview with Drop Site News. In the interview, co-founder Jeremy Scahill questioned Khanna about whether Palestinians had the right to attack Israeli soldiers during the assault. Khanna labeled the October 7 events as a 'terrorist attack' and stated, 'I’m not going to say that Hamas had a right to attack Israeli soldiers or kill Israelis.' He emphasized the importance of peaceful resistance, referencing the philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. While rejecting Hamas's actions, Khanna criticized Israel's military response in Gaza, describing it as genocide. This interview followed Khanna's recent trip to the West Bank, where he claimed he and his delegation were detained by Israeli settlers for 75 minutes, a claim disputed by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Khanna has faced backlash from anti-Israel activists despite his criticisms of the Israeli government, including a recent incident where he did not support a complete U.S. arms embargo on Israel during an interview with political streamer Hasan Piker.