US Congressional Nominee Brad Lander Detained by Israeli Forces During West Bank Olive Harvest
US Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was released from Israeli military custody with a warning after being detained alongside approximately 80 volunteers who were helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives in the occupied West Bank. Lander, a Jewish American and former New York City comptroller running as the Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th Congressional District in the November 3 midterm elections, stated that he was freed due to his public profile while dozens of other international volunteers, rabbis, and activists remained in detention.
The detentions occurred Wednesday near the village of Nahalin, outside Bethlehem. According to the Israeli human rights organization Rabbis for Human Rights, the detained group included American, Israeli, Palestinian, British, and Canadian volunteers participating in the annual agricultural event.
Becca Strober, a representative of the Protect the Harvest Coalition that helped organize the effort, stated that the group had been peacefully picking olives at the invitation of a Palestinian family for several hours before Israeli soldiers arrived. According to Strober, there was no conflict or violence of any kind until soldiers began checking identification cards and subsequently declared the area a closed military zone. The volunteers were first detained in the field and later transported to a police station.
“To this moment, everyone’s still detained except for Brad Lander,” Strober said, noting that soldiers explicitly told Lander he was being released because he is likely to enter the US Congress soon. Anton Goodman, acting director for Rabbis for Human Rights, reported that volunteers who lacked Israeli or Palestinian citizenship were expected to be transferred to an Israeli military base.
In a video posted to social media from a military bus during the incident, Lander argued that the agricultural work was lawful. “We’ve been detained by the Israeli military for harvesting olives,” he said. “And let’s be clear, occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives is not a crime under any law.” Organizers noted that the olive pickers had no prior knowledge of the closed military zone order and had offered to leave voluntarily when instructed.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly disputed the characterization of the event, accusing Lander of orchestrating a “calculated political provocation” by intentionally entering a restricted security area without authorization. In a statement posted to social media, the ministry asserted that Lander’s team had contacted Israeli representatives in the US in advance and was informed that the visit required prior coordination with relevant authorities, instructions they allegedly ignored. “Brad Lander came looking for a confrontation,” the ministry stated. “Now he is pretending to be its victim.”
Following his release, Lander condemned the actions of the military, writing on social media that the detentions represent an ongoing effort to restrict Palestinians from accessing their land, traveling on local roads, and remaining in their homes. He described the situation as part of an escalating and state-sponsored pattern against local residents.
Organizers emphasized that the volunteers’ presence was intended to support farmers amid rising security challenges during the harvest season. Strober noted that the Palestinian family whose land was being harvested had been unable to access their property since October 7, 2023, due to persistent dangers in the area. The incident occurred against a backdrop of recent violence during the harvest season, including an attack on an American photojournalist working for The Washington Post on Friday and an assault on European diplomats and a French mayor the following day by Israeli settlers. Israeli police announced Tuesday that 10 individuals had been arrested in connection with those attacks. Neither the Israeli government nor the US Embassy in Jerusalem immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Wednesday’s detentions.
