Washington, DC – November 8, 2025 – In a pointed address that underscored deepening fractures within the Democratic Party, U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) on Thursday lambasted former President Joe Biden's approach to the Gaza conflict, labeling it a profound miscalculation that eroded U.S. moral authority and alienated a generation of young voters. Speaking at the annual Crooked Con conference hosted by the progressive media outlet Crooked Media, Khanna called for an immediate cessation of arms sales to Israel, recognition of a Palestinian state, and a broader recommitment to international law—proposals that place him at the vanguard of a resurgent left-wing critique amid ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
The event, held at the Washington Hilton and attended by over 2,000 progressive activists, podcasters, and policymakers, provided a platform for unfiltered introspection on the party's foreign policy failures. Khanna's remarks, delivered during a panel titled "Moral Clarity in a Messy World," arrived against the backdrop of a protracted war in Gaza that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. As of early November 2025, the Gaza Health Ministry reports over 43,000 Palestinian deaths, with the United Nations estimating that 90% of the enclave's 2.3 million residents have been displaced at least once. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures in January 2024 ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts, a ruling that has fueled global debates over the conflict's legal and ethical dimensions.
"We have to start with the truth. President Biden mishandled Gaza. He was wrong. We should never have given a blank check," Khanna declared, his voice rising amid applause from the audience. The California representative, who represents Silicon Valley's 17th Congressional District and has long positioned himself as a bridge between tech innovation and progressive ideals, referenced the Biden administration's approval of $14.3 billion in emergency military aid to Israel in November 2023. That package, part of a larger $95 billion foreign aid bill, passed the House with a 366-58 vote, but Khanna highlighted the dissent from 37 Democrats as a moral litmus test that the party failed.
"That should have been every person in the Democratic caucus," he continued, drawing parallels to historical blunders. "Those who voted for that aid made as much of a blunder as those who supported the war in Iraq." The Iraq War analogy evoked memories of the 2003 invasion, which Khanna, then a young lawyer, publicly opposed. It underscored his broader argument: unconditional support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not only prolonged suffering in Gaza but also tarnished the U.S.'s global standing, much like the intelligence failures and human rights abuses that defined the Iraq debacle.
Khanna's critique extends beyond aid packages to the Biden administration's reluctance to leverage U.S. influence more aggressively. Despite Biden's public frustrations—expressed in a March 2024 State of the Union address where he warned Netanyahu against using American weapons irresponsibly—the White House continued approving arms transfers, including 2,000-pound bombs used in densely populated areas. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented instances where such munitions contributed to civilian casualties, with a July 2024 UN report accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war. Khanna argued that this duality—providing both humanitarian aid via airdrops and munitions that have targeted aid convoys—epitomizes policy incoherence.
Urging immediate action, Khanna pivoted to legislative remedies. "We need to say no military sales to Israel and Netanyahu, and get on board with Delia Ramirez's No Bombs Act," he said. The bill, introduced by Illinois Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez in May 2024 and reintroduced in the 119th Congress, targets the transfer of "destructive weapons systems" like bunker-buster bombs and precision-guided munitions implicated in Gaza operations. Co-sponsored by over 20 progressives, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the act requires congressional approval for any arms deals exceeding $50 million and mandates reports on their potential use in violations of international humanitarian law. Ramirez, whose district includes Chicago's large Arab American community, framed the legislation as a response to what she calls "genocide in the enclave," echoing South Africa's ICJ case against Israel.
Khanna's invocation of "genocide" marks a rhetorical escalation for the congressman, who in earlier 2024 interviews tempered his language to emphasize cease-fires and hostage releases. Now, he explicitly tied U.S. policy to global accountability: "We need to say that we will recognize what the UN, what the ICJ is, recognizing that what happened, there was a genocide." The ICJ's July 2024 advisory opinion declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful, a finding endorsed by 150 nations at the UN General Assembly, though the U.S. abstained. Khanna proposed that America join this chorus by formally recognizing Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution "with a secure Israel," a stance aligned with a September 2025 New Republic interview where he advocated suspending all military aid until civilian protections are ensured.
This call resonates amid shifting domestic dynamics. Polling from Data for Progress in October 2025 shows 62% of Democrats under 35 view Israel's actions in Gaza as genocidal, up from 48% in early 2024, with "uncommitted" protest votes in primaries siphoning support from Biden's successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. Khanna, who served as a Biden campaign surrogate in 2024 despite his Gaza dissent, captured this generational rift: "Here is what I know. You may disagree with where I stand, but young people are tired of the platitudes. They're tired of people saying, 'We want peace, we want justice, we want human rights.' What does that mean? Where do you stand? Where do you stand? Specifically, enough of the word salads, enough of the platitudes."
His frustration echoes a broader progressive chorus. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, warned in April 2024 that without a policy pivot, turnout among young and Muslim voters could crater, jeopardizing swing states like Michigan. Khanna himself traveled to Michigan that February, meeting Arab American leaders who decried Biden's "ironclad" support for Israel as a betrayal, potentially costing Democrats the state Biden won by 154,000 votes in 2020. "We need to be a party of moral courage," Khanna concluded, invoking the legacy of anti-war Democrats like Sen. Bernie Sanders, who praised Khanna's consistency in a 2024 joint op-ed.
Yet Khanna's evolution has drawn backlash from centrists and pro-Israel groups. The Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) labeled his remarks "reckless," arguing they undermine bipartisan consensus on Israel's security. In July 2025, Khanna faced online vitriol for appearing alongside Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a staunch Netanyahu ally known for inflammatory anti-Palestinian rhetoric, on a Newsmax segment—though Khanna defended it as an effort to foster "civil conversation" across divides. Critics, including activists from Jewish Voice for Peace, accused him of platforming extremism, while supporters hailed his willingness to engage adversaries.
Khanna's address also intersects with stalled diplomatic efforts. As of November 2025, cease-fire talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. remain deadlocked, with Hamas demanding a full Israeli withdrawal and Israel insisting on demilitarizing Gaza. The congressman, who in March 2024 urged Biden to "do something bold" like endorsing a permanent truce, now frames recognition of Palestine as that bold stroke—joining nations like Spain, Ireland, and Norway, which extended such recognition in May 2024. "The United States should follow 150 other countries," he said, referencing UN resolutions.
In the panel's aftermath, Crooked Media co-founder Tommy Vietor described Khanna's speech as a "wake-up call," noting that 70% of attendees under 30 prioritized Gaza in post-event surveys. Social media amplified the moment, with #CrookedCon2025 trending and clips garnering over 500,000 views on X (formerly Twitter) by Friday evening. One viral post from Quds News Network juxtaposed Khanna's words with footage of Gaza rubble, captioning it: "A rare voice of accountability from Washington."
Khanna's intervention arrives as the Democratic Party grapples with its post-Biden identity. With Harris navigating a fragile coalition ahead of midterms, his push for "moral courage" could galvanize the base or exacerbate rifts—much like Sanders's 2016 insurgency. As one attendee, a 24-year-old organizer from Michigan, told The Anadolu Agency: "This isn't just policy; it's about trust. Khanna gets that." Whether his vision translates to Capitol Hill remains uncertain, but on this crisp November day, it ignited a conversation long overdue.
