US Congressional Candidate Detained by IDF During Olive Harvest

An unusual incident occurred near Bethlehem on Wednesday when Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress from New York, was detained by security forces during an olive harvest. Lander was accompanying approximately 80 activists from the organization Rabbis for Human Rights and other American volunteers who were there to support Palestinian farmers in the village of Nahalin.

About two hours into the harvest, IDF forces arrived and declared the area a closed military zone for 24 hours. Despite the activists' intention to leave, the soldiers detained everyone present for identification, collecting their IDs and passports. The Rabbis for Human Rights organization stated they had no prior knowledge of the military order.

Anton Goodman, Acting Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights, criticized the forces' actions, noting that the activists had come to assist Palestinian farmers who had been unable to access their lands for three years. He asserted that the activity was proceeding without disruption until the military's arrival, which he claimed prevented farmers from working their land and detained the volunteers who were escorting them.

Member of Knesset Gilad Kariv also addressed the incident, contacting Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar about the detention of the activists. Kariv posted on X that American politicians and public figures were among those detained, claiming they were held without cause. He also sharply criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling him a "clown" and urging the Foreign Ministry to ensure the detained individuals were not humiliated by Ben-Gvir.