In the interests of olive growers: US Democrat temporarily detained in West Bank

On Wednesday, Israeli security forces temporarily detained Brad Lander, a Democratic congressional candidate from New York, during an olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. Lander, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s 10th congressional district, stated that he was held for approximately three hours alongside dozens of other activists. According to the Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights, roughly 80 volunteers, including American and Israeli rabbis, were detained on village farmland near Bethlehem. While Lander was released relatively quickly, more than 30 other U.S. citizens and numerous other participants remained in custody at a police station located within an Israeli settlement. The incident occurred in the village of Nahalin, south of Bethlehem, where Palestinian farmers were gathering olives with the accompaniment of international volunteers. Lander, a 57-year-old Jewish American and former New York City comptroller, posted images on social media platform X showing himself on a bus with what appeared to be a police officer and a masked soldier. He described the group as simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim. Lander asserted that the occupation of the West Bank constitutes a crime under international law and declared that harvesting olives is not a crime under any known legal framework. He characterized the detentions as an attempt to undermine Palestinian rights to farm, travel, and live in their homes. Israeli authorities cited security concerns as the primary reason for the intervention. The Israeli military stated that the farmers and volunteers had failed to submit prior applications to local authorities before beginning the harvest season. The army claimed this lack of coordination posed a security risk near an Israeli community and disrupted public order. Military officials further described the arrival of dozens of activists as an act intended solely for provocation, arguing that it undermined the legitimate harvest process. Police indicated that the group was detained because they were operating in a closed military zone. Notably, police stated that Lander was released specifically because he was identified as an elected official or candidate, whereas other non-citizen volunteers faced continued detention pending interrogation. Two Israeli lawyers familiar with the case told NPR that this event represents the largest mass arrest of activists in the West Bank in at least ten years. Anton Goodman, acting director of Rabbis for Human Rights, confirmed that Lander had been released but noted that all other detainees were still being held. He explained that individuals who were neither Israeli nor Palestinian citizens were expected to be transferred to an Israeli military base for questioning. A separate Jewish North American rights group, T’ruah, reported that the volunteers were accompanying local farmers who frequently face threats of violence from Israeli settlers. Both organizations emphasized that the volunteers acted in solidarity with the agricultural workers. The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to the incident by dismissing Lander’s visit as a calculated political provocation. Officials rejected Lander’s characterization of the activity as peaceful, accusing him of using the situation for political gain. This reaction contrasts with the statements made by Lander, who framed his participation as a defense of human rights against escalating settler violence. Lander has previously criticized Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza and is considered an ally of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Pollsters indicate that Lander is favored to win the seat in the upcoming November 3 midterm elections. Violence involving Israeli settlers in the West Bank has intensified significantly in recent months. Last week, settlers attacked U.S. journalist Heidi Levine and a group of European diplomats during a similar harvest operation. Reports indicate that a man who filmed and published footage of the attack on Levine was subsequently detained by Israeli officials during another harvest. United Nations human rights experts have urged Israel to protect Palestinian olive growers from such attacks. Data from last year indicates there were 178 settler attacks on 88 Palestinian communities related to the harvest, nearly double the number recorded in 2024. More than 6,000 trees and seedlings were reportedly damaged deliberately during that period. Olive cultivation serves as a cornerstone of the Palestinian economy, accounting for approximately 8 percent of the gross domestic product and providing employment for over 60,000 people according to the Palestinian Authority’s ministry of agriculture. Access to fields in areas controlled by Israeli settlements has become increasingly difficult for farmers. Israel has maintained control over the West Bank since the Six-Day War in 1967. The territory is home to approximately three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers, whose presence is deemed illegal under international law. As the annual harvest continues, tensions remain high between the agricultural workers, the accompanying international advocates, and the Israeli security apparatus enforcing movement restrictions and permitting requirements.