US Congressional Candidate Brad Lander Detained by IDF During West Bank Olive Harvest

US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander was detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday while harvesting olives alongside Palestinian farmers and volunteers. Lander, the Democratic nominee for New York's 10th congressional district, said he was held for about three hours before being released with a warning — a warning he believes came only because of his public profile.
Around 80 volunteers, including American rabbis from Rabbis for Human Rights and T'ruah, were picking olives near the village of Nahalin, south of Bethlehem, as part of a "protective presence" for farmers who face settler violence. Israeli soldiers and police arrived about two hours in, declared the area a closed military zone, and detained the group. Organizers said they had not known about the closure and offered to leave.
Israeli police later said 72 people were released, some barred from returning to the harvest area, while four foreign nationals face a deportation hearing on Thursday. Other volunteers were held for around nine hours. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demanded the immediate release of the remaining New Yorkers, writing that "the detention of these New Yorkers must end." Lander, New York City's former comptroller who won an upset primary against Rep. Dan Goldman, posted on X: "The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know."
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