Israeli forces detain and then release US congressional candidate at West Bank harvest

Israeli forces detained U.S. Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander on Wednesday while he assisted Palestinian farmers in harvesting olives in the West Bank. The candidate was released hours later, as dozens of other volunteers, including American rabbis, remained in custody. This incident occurred during an annual olive harvest that has often been marred by clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinian villagers trying to gather their produce.

The Israeli military stated that the farmers and volunteers had not obtained prior permission for the harvest, and their actions posed a security risk near an Israeli community. The military also expressed that the arrival of numerous activists was intended to provoke and disrupt the harvesting process. Lander, who is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing New York City, tweeted after his release that the occupation is a crime under international law and that harvesting olives is not a crime.