US Congress candidate Lander detained in West Bank — Asharq Al-Awsat

Israeli forces detained Democratic Party candidate for the US House of Representatives Brad Lander during an olive harvest in the village of Nahalin, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank in Palestine. Palestinians, Israelis and foreign volunteers accompanying local farmers were detained along with him, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

According to the Israeli human rights organization Rabbis for Human Rights and the Jewish North American organization T'ruah, about 80 volunteers took part in the harvest. Lander wrote on social media platform X that he was detained along with a group of rabbis and volunteers. Later, according to both organizations, the candidate was released.

Position of Israeli police and military

Israeli police said they detained olive harvesters and dozens of Israeli and foreign activists near the fence of an Israeli settlement. According to the police, olive harvesting in the area was prohibited. One of the foreigners was released after it became known that he was running for the US Congress.

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The military, for its part, said that prior coordination was required to harvest in that area, and it had not been carried out. They confirmed the detention of those present but did not say that olive harvesting itself was prohibited.

Detained volunteers

Acting director of Rabbis for Human Rights Anton Goodman said that the military and police arrived about two hours after the harvest began. According to him, participants were told that the area had been declared a closed military zone that morning. Organizers said they were unaware of this decision and agreed to leave the site, but were told they could not leave because of an alleged breach of public order.

Goodman said that Lander was the only person released at that time, while the other detainees were to be questioned. T'ruah executive director Rabbi Jill Jacobs, who was also among those detained, said that more than 30 US citizens were among them, as well as citizens of the United Kingdom and Canada. The US Embassy in Jerusalem confirmed that it was aware of reports about the detention of Americans and was monitoring the situation.