Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for Congress in the US, was detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on a Wednesday while he and about 80 activists were picking olives with Palestinian farmers, according to rights groups. The Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights stated that they were arrested near Bethlehem, where they had been supporting the farmers for around two hours.
Israeli authorities claimed that the group was in a closed military zone, resulting in their detention and transfer to a police station. Lander, who has previously criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, stated on social media that they were simply harvesting olives and argued that the occupation violates international law. He shared a photo of himself on a bus, accompanied by a police officer and a masked soldier.
Lander is the Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th congressional district in the upcoming midterm elections. A spokesperson from Rabbis for Human Rights mentioned that while Lander had been released, the others remained detained at a police station, with those who are not Israeli or Palestinian citizens expected to be moved to a military base. The group of volunteers included both US and Israeli citizens, acting in solidarity with Palestinian farmers who face potential violence from Israeli settlers.
The Palestinian agricultural sector relies heavily on olive farming, making up around 8% of its GDP and providing over 60,000 jobs. The reasons behind the area’s designation as a closed military zone were unclear, but the group claimed they could not have known beforehand.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, who was also detained, noted that they were peacefully picking olives prior to the arrival of Israeli forces, who found their actions disturbing. No formal charges were mentioned against the detainees, and the situation surrounding their detention remained uncertain. Incidents of violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers are reportedly increasing, prompting calls for government action.
With information from Reuters
