US Congressional Candidate Detained by Israeli Forces in West Bank

Israeli forces detained Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress, along with dozens of other activists in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The group was supporting Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest near Bethlehem. Rabbis for Human Rights, an Israeli organization, stated that approximately 80 volunteers, including Lander, were detained by Israeli army and police forces after accompanying Palestinians for about two hours. The Israeli forces informed the group they were in a closed military zone before taking them to a police station. Lander, a former New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate, posted on X that he was detained with a group of rabbis and volunteers while "simply picking olives in a grove." He added, "The occupation is a crime under international law. Picking olives is not a crime under any law I know of." Lander is an ally of New York City Mayor and has been critical of the war in Gaza. He shared a photo showing what appeared to be a masked police officer and soldier. Lander is currently the Democratic nominee for New York's 10th congressional district in the upcoming November 3rd midterm elections. Anton Goodman, acting director of Rabbis for Human Rights, told Reuters that Lander was later released, but others remained detained at a police station within an Israeli settlement. He indicated that non-Israeli and non-Palestinian detainees would likely be transferred to an Israeli military base. The Jewish human rights organization T'ruah reported that the volunteers, including Americans and Israelis, were accompanying Palestinian farmers facing settler violence. T'ruah's CEO, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, stated that the group, which included 33 Americans, Canadians, and Britons, was "peacefully picking olives" before the Israeli forces arrived. She noted that "picking olives with Palestinian farmers was apparently disturbing to some." The reason for declaring the area a closed military zone was not immediately clear. Goodman stated the group was unaware of the declaration, which was made that morning, and had agreed to leave when informed by Israeli forces. An Israeli military spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli police and military also did not immediately comment. Jacobs mentioned that some detainees were taken inside the police station while others, including herself, were held on a bus outside. She was unaware of any formal charges being filed. The detention occurs amid a rise in attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to address this violence. A Washington Post photographer and European diplomats have also been attacked by settlers while covering olive harvests recently. The Israeli police announced Tuesday the arrest of ten individuals in connection with weekend violence.