Israeli Military Detains Rabbis for Human Rights Volunteers in West Bank
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
The IDF detained about 90 volunteers from Rabbis for Human Rights and American activists in Judea and Samaria on October 21. The volunteers were assisting Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest near Bethlehem. Israeli forces declared the area a closed military zone and detained everyone, though most were later released. The organization stated the military blocked access to the land instead of providing security.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- IDF detained approximately 90 volunteers from Rabbis for Human Rights and American activists in Judea and Samaria.
- The volunteers were assisting Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest near Bethlehem.
- Israeli forces declared the area a closed military zone and detained all present.
- Brad Lander, a candidate for Congress from New York, was among those detained.
- Most detainees were later released after document verification.
- Rabbis for Human Rights stated the military blocked access to the land.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detained approximately 90 volunteers from the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, along with American activists, on Wednesday, October 21, in Judea and Samaria. Among those detained were Brad Lander, a candidate for Congress from New York, and Yehoshua Shofman, a former Deputy Attorney General. According to the organization, the volunteers had arrived early in the morning in the village of Nahalin, near Bethlehem, to accompany Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest. Representatives of the human rights group stated that local residents had been denied access to these olive groves for the past three years.
Two hours after work began, Israeli security forces arrived and declared the area a closed military zone for 24 hours. The activists reported that they complied with the order and agreed to leave the zone, but the military proceeded to detain everyone present. The detainees were separated into Israeli citizens and foreign nationals before being taken to a police station for document verification and processing. Later, Brad Lander and other participants were released. One activist confirmed that no one was injured during the verification and detention process.
Anton Goodman, Acting Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights, stated that the volunteers came to assist people on their legitimate land. He added that no one present was aware of the prohibition beforehand, and instead of ensuring security, the military blocked access to the site.
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