If you’re wondering what a Democratic congressman, who happens to be a Woke sympathizer, could possibly have in common with the once conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson, both seemingly came to visit Israel for the sole purpose of bashing her.
Khanna, who arrived a little over a week ago, made the miscalculation of traveling to the areas of Judea and Samaria without IDF coordination, a protocol which, if planned, would have prevented a confrontation with the area’s residents who detained the American congressman and his escort.
Outraged by what happened, Khanna went straight to the press, blasting the event and using it to smear the IDF, who were called in while the congressman’s minibus was stopped by armed residents.
All of this could have been avoided had Khanna communicated with Israeli officials, letting them know of his intention to visit an area that is already inflamed by much conflict.
But, perhaps, that was the objective – a surprise visit that would have alerted hyper-sensitive, overly zealous residents, using them as the perfect photo-op to shore up his already biased opinions of Israel.
While Khanna may not have realized what such an uncoordinated visit would ignite – his Israeli escort, Nadav Weiman, should have. That’s because Weiman is the executive director of the activist group “Breaking the Silence,” dedicated to placing Israel in a bad light by publishing distorted versions of malcontented IDF soldiers who have turned against the military.
What better publicity could they have asked for? Khanna got his “ugly Israel” moment, while Weiman, likewise, scored some points for his team. All this is reminiscent of Tucker Carlson’s February visit when, rather than travel to meet with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee for a formal interview, he instead chose to conduct it from Ben-Gurion Airport after Carlson’s anticipated VIP military escort was refused. Wasn’t he important enough for that? (sarcasm intended)
Turning it into an exaggerated critique, claiming that he and a staff member had been excessively detained, as well as having their passports confiscated, the happy, smiling photos taken of Tucker with airport workers belied his incriminating account. Nonetheless, Carlson got his own moment of notoriety at the cost of Israel bashing.
A third visit, which took place just a few days ago, also bears the same coincidental earmarks of ill-will by presidential hopeful Rahm Emanuel, who, according to The Jerusalem Post, “signaled in advance that he was coming to Israel to sharply criticize the Israeli government.”
What is clear is that if you want ammunition to use against the Jewish state, just pay a visit. You’re bound to find something odious, and if not, just make it up as you go along, embellishing a deliberate mishap which is useful to someone who wants to further their political or social media aspirations.
In Khanna’s case, it didn’t take but a day before discrepancies began to emerge, punching holes in his very unobjective account.
Contradicting reports on the events
Here are some important excerpts from the article, “One detail in IDF statement changes whole Khanna story,” by Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Zvika Klein:
“He (Khanna) told Reuters, twice in one sentence, that the men had machine guns. The M4 is a carbine. The army’s account has one armed man. Khanna’s tweet has settlers, plural, brandishing rifles. His tweet said the IDF continued his detention. His own aide told reporters they were released when officers showed up.
“Khanna told CNN they were freed after the embassy reached a senior Israeli official. Haaretz reported it was the Foreign Ministry. Khanna said the Israeli government was notified of his trip. An Israeli security source said the visit was never coordinated, which is why he had no security.”
Khanna’s veiled threat is that we haven’t heard the last of him. As Klein says, “He came for an unfiltered look at us. He’s welcome to an unfiltered interview with me. If his story holds up, he has nothing to worry about.”
Of course, unfiltered is not the same as open-minded, because, like many in his party, Khanna has become a leading critic of Israel.
Turning this incident into one grand opportunity to boost his brand, while at the same time injuring Israel, Khanna told NBC News that he believed his party’s establishment was “clueless about how much of a moral test Palestine, Gaza, and Israel have become.”
Khanna said he chose to do a visit exclusively to the West Bank, with programming led by Palestinians, to give him an unfiltered view of territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
“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.”
And there you have it! No factual evidence of genocide or apartheid. Just the accusation by a sitting Democratic congressman with possible presidential aspirations.
Of course, in his pathetic attempt not to sound too extreme, unlike the Democratic Socialists who openly despise Israel, Khanna said: “he backs Zionism and the right for Israel to exist.”
But why would he if, in the same breath, he claims to be speaking up against genocide and apartheid? Those two statements cannot coexist in the same person, because one is affirming while the other is terribly condemning.
So, which is it? Can Khanna support a state he says is engaging in despicable acts which violate human rights and dignity? Or is he being disingenuous, playing the well-known political game of: How far can I go to please my side of the aisle without sounding like a fringe lunatic?
Men like Khanna, Carlson, and Emanuel have one thing in common. They are willing to excoriate whatever it takes for the sake of power and fame, the all-too-familiar aphrodisiacs since the beginning of time.
Israel fits that profile. Hated by the Left and the Right, it has become the one commonality that both sides of the aisle can handily use in order to garner favor with their constituents who have decided that the Jewish homeland is the perfect villain in a world that has, yet again, turned against God’s chosen people.
Ironically, their attempts to ruin Israel’s good name end up sullying their own reputations, leaving everyone clear-eyed to see what is really behind their visits – helping themselves at the price of bashing Israel.
The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.