U.S. Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander, alongside approximately 80 American and Israeli rabbis and activists, was detained by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank while assisting Palestinian families with their olive harvest. The incident occurred near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit.
Israeli military and police declared the olive grove a closed military zone before escorting the group away and detaining them. Two Israeli lawyers familiar with such cases described this as the largest mass detention of activists in the occupied West Bank in at least a decade, with longtime Israeli human rights proponent Rabbi Arik Asherman calling the detentions "unprecedented."
It remains unclear what specific accusations, if any, Israeli authorities leveled against the group. The military and police did not immediately provide comment. From a bus transporting the detainees to a police station, Lander filmed a video stating, "We've been detained by the Israeli military for harvesting olives, and let's be clear: Occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives is not a crime under any law."
The detained individuals, including American rabbis from the U.S. organization T'ruah and members of the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights, had joined Palestinian farmers in Nahalin, hoping their presence would ensure a peaceful harvest. Olive harvesting is a culturally and economically vital period for Palestinians.
However, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have faced increasing difficulty accessing their fields. Several individuals reported being unable to harvest their olive trees since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, citing heightened danger due to a rise in settler attacks in the region.
The detention unfolded after roughly two hours of harvesting, when drones began circling overhead. Israeli security forces then arrived, declared the area a closed military zone, and proceeded to detain the activists, taking them to a police station for questioning.
This incident follows a similar event in July, when Democratic congressman Ro Khanna of California was also briefly detained by Israeli forces during a trip to the West Bank.
