Ro Khanna blew off offer to meet former Israeli hostages, Oct. 7 survivors on ‘campaign trip’: source

Ro Khanna had a chance to sit down with people who lived through Oct. 7, actual former hostages, actual survivors, and he passed. Not because of a scheduling conflict overseas. This was before he even left for his trip. That's the detail that matters here. You can't claim you're going to the region to understand the conflict better if you skip the people who were dragged into tunnels and shot at on a dance floor when they were sitting right in front of you.

We've heard the excuse before from lawmakers who want the photo-op version of empathy without the uncomfortable conversation. It's easier to tour a hospital or shake hands with officials than to look someone in the eye who watched their family get murdered and hear what they actually need you to understand. Khanna has built a brand on being the thoughtful, policy-minded progressive who takes hard questions seriously. This wasn't a hard question. It was an easy yes that he apparently didn't want to say.

If this report holds up, and the source is specific enough that Khanna's office should just answer it directly, it tells you something about priorities. A congressman heading into a conflict zone should want every firsthand account he can get before he starts making pronouncements about what should happen there. Skipping the hostages and survivors isn't caution. It's avoidance.

Democrats keep telling us they take antisemitism and the Oct. 7 attack seriously. Fine. Then take the meeting.