Ro Khanna’s West Bank trip shows bearing witness is not enough

I am a pro-Palestine, anti-war Iranian American. I am also a former Rep. Ro Khanna “hilltern” who spent a summer living in the occupied West Bank in 2022. While Rep. Khanna’s trip to the West Bank made international headlines for his detention and treatment by Israeli settlers, the real story is that no amount of bearing witness can end Israeli impunity alone. I interned with Rep. Khanna in the Fall of 2019, and it is actually what shifted my trajectory toward focusing on the region. It also solidified my commitment to unequivocally opposing war and advocating for a non-interventionist U.S. foreign policy — an outlook inspired by his leadership in pushing to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen and spearheading the #NoWarWithIran campaign back in 2019. Being critical of Israel as a Member of Congress back in 2019 looked different than what it looks like now. Although Rep. Khanna’s positions on Yemen and Iran set him apart from most members of Congress, he was still not there on Palestine. Very few were. Even now, despite being well ahead of most of his colleagues, he stops short of calling for a full arms embargo, a position I hope he reconsiders. I was quite ignorant of the levels of U.S. complicity in Israel’s occupation and apartheid reality until I went and saw it myself. During my time in Palestine, I had the privilege of visiting many, if not all, of the areas Rep. Khanna visited. I even recognized some of the faces he met with. I heard and witnessed many stories of both direct and indirect violence under apartheid and occupation. One of the most horrific experiences was witnessing the killing of 16-year-old Palestinian boy Amjad Abu-Alia by Israeli settlers in the village of Al-Mughayyir during a peaceful march against settler violence and settlement expansion. And one thing that has stayed with me is I know I’m not the only one; Palestinians have been telling these stories to the thousands of us who visit for decades. Nearly every conversation would end with the same request: “Go back to the U.S. and tell them what you saw.” Rep. Khanna’s detention by violent Israeli settlers earlier this month is notable because he is a sitting member of Congress. But his specific experience is not unique; as he has shared himself, this just scratches the surface of what Palestinians are experiencing every day. And anyone who cannot admit this reality either has no idea what being Palestinian in the occupied West Bank is actually like, or actively has it in their best interest to stay silent about the truth. Seeing someone like Rep. Khanna experience the occupied West Bank firsthand (rather than as part of the typical Israel-sponsored congressional delegation) and use his platform to highlight the realities made possible by this culture of impunity is truly a breath of fresh air. Establishment media and Zionist public figures dismissing this as a photo op or political stunt are reacting because they fear the truth they have long sought to obscure. The virality and shock of Rep. Khanna’s visit matters, and it could help move the needle in the broader fight to end U.S. complicity. But the real question is what happens next because bearing witness alone does not end impunity. When I left Palestine, I thought that if more Americans knew where their tax dollars were going, U.S. policy toward Israel would change. Public awareness would reshape the policy conversation, and Palestinians would no longer be subjected to violence made possible on our dime. But while a genocide is still being carried out, Congress continues to vote as it does despite public opinion shifting dramatically. Because of this, over these past few years, I’ve had to confront a painful reality: public consciousness alone is not enough. Until the political incentives change, the policy is unlikely to. Specifically, the incentives change when there is a real, predictable cost: primary challengers, lost endorsements, and lost elections. The cracks are showing, and there have been some real shifts as demonstrated just last week when 100 House Democrats voted to end aid to Israel. But prioritizing Israeli interests over those of the American people remains politically acceptable because the cost of doing so is still too low. As the tide continues to turn toward Palestine, be wary of politicians who suddenly discover their conscience only after the political calculus changes. The Kamala Harrises of the world, trying to rewrite their records of aiding and abetting genocide. The Gavin Newsoms of the world, who will eventually move in a pro-Palestine direction only once they realize there is a political cost to doing otherwise. The Scott Wieners of the world, who now take a “stance” against the genocide because they were confronted with the political cost. But there is also another test for those who have been willing to stand apart from the political establishment: whether witnessing becomes a catalyst for action or simply another form of political positioning. My fear is that the goalposts will simply shift; that members of Congress will begin visiting Palestine for the political clout of having “witnessed” the occupation, while doing little to use the power they already have to end Israeli impunity. Time will tell whether a new category of politician emerges: the Ro Khannas of the world — politicians who go to bear witness, speak truthfully about what they see, and then stop there. Because even symbolic acts of solidarity cannot become a substitute for using the power that comes with elected office to create material change on the ground and help end this genocidal violence. Ultimately, there is no more time to simply bear witness. The past three years have been beyond urgent. When I was in Palestine in 2022, it was already urgent. Ending Israel’s impunity requires both politicians willing to lose Israeli lobby money rather than lose their conscience and politicians willing to turn their stated convictions into action. I hope that day comes soon. Ciara MoezidisCiara Moezidis is a Brooklyn-based organizer whose work spans Iranian diaspora anti-war efforts, Palestinian solidarity, and big tech accountability.