Fox News host Gillian Turner repeatedly interrupted and acted like a member of the Israeli government trying to deny Congressman Ro Khanna's account when he was describing the events that threatened his and others' lives while they visited visit the West Bank.
Rep. Khanna posted video evidence "on social media of Israeli settlers and soldiers blocking the path of his convoy on Wednesday in the South Hebron hills, near the village of Zanuta, where Israelis have driven Palestinians from their homes in what Amnesty International calls a government-backed “ethnic cleansing campaign”.
I didn't know it was Turner's job to refute his account. If Jim Jordan was recounting a harrowing experience, Turner would have been glued to his every word.
TURNER: Did you really not know that going into a restricted military area guarded by local security forces was going to result in your entourage getting stopped?
KHANNA: It was not a area that was restricted by military. American congresspeople had been there before.
If I could just finish please, because this should be an outrage to any American citizen what happened.
We were there seeing the Zenuda village, which Yanon Levy had destroyed, burned to the ground. Many American members of Congress had been there before. We drove up to the road and these hoodlums with M4s circled our van. They started kicking the tires. They yelled insults.
They said it didn't matter that we were Americans. And then the IDF came and they blocked the road. There's breaking news video camera released just this morning that shows those IDF officers siding with the settlers against the Americans.
Many even conservatives have said how dare they do this to an American passport holder, not just me, for Americans.
And we need the arrest of these people who detained us, who threatened our lives.
TURNER: Congressman, it is disingenuous to call those local security officials random settlers.
These are people who operate in the area regularly. Further, sir, I have to point out to you that other members of Congress have visited this area, but with prior coordination, we understand that your team did not do that.
KHANNA: That's false. We had informed the Israeli Embassy. We were, the only reason our lives are saved is because of the excellent work of the American Embassy.
David Brownstein, who you also can talk about this, had first told us just don't engage with these violent settlers. And we tell them you're wrong with the American Embassy.
They didn't care. They said who cares that you're American? We don't care that someone's in Congress or a government official. He said to say that to the IDF, they didn't care.
They were taking the side of the settlers who were detaining and threatening Americans.
TURNER: Again, the Israelis, sir, say it was IDF officials coordinating with local security on the ground there.
Here's just part of the statement. Well, let me read part of this statement, sir, from the IDF.
KHANNA: You can see the video.
TURNER: Troops were dispatched to the scene to quickly disperse the Israeli civilians and reopen the blocked road.
The IDF soldiers operating in the area did not take part in blocking the road.
KHANNA: People should look at the video. First of all, there was a New York Times photographer with us. There was journalists with us. There's a detailed account.
But the people should look at the video. The video shows the IDF, four soldiers that are blocking us and detaining us.
And the only reason we're safe, and I give incredible credit to the American Embassy career folks, David Brownstein, he called someone senior in the Israeli government.
And finally, 75 minutes in, they sent police force. And then the violent settlers left, and the IDF left, and they let us through.
And it was because of his efforts that American lives weren't lost. But the reality is that this is an unprecedented, illegal detention of Americans.
The entire segment is twice as long and twice as frustrating. An American Congressman was menaced by West Bank settlers and the Israeli government did nothing until the American embassy intervened. Why is that so difficult for Fox News to comprehend?
