Israel detains US congressional candidate at West Bank olive harvest
Brad Lander, Democratic nominee for New York's 10th Congressional District, speaks as he, along with other volunteers with Rabbis for Human Rights accompanying Palestinian farmers in the West Bank olive harvest, stands as they wait to be moved inside a bus as they are detained by the Israeli military, near Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 21, 2026, in this frame obtained from a video. Amira Musallam/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
MANDATORY CREDIT. VERIFICATION: Reuters verified the location of the videos from the road layout, trees, buildings, utility poles and mountains that matched topographic mapping and satellite imagery. The date when the videos were filmed was verified from original file metadata. The Identity of Brad Lander, US Democratic candidate for Congress, was verified from archive imagery. AMIRA MUSALLAM / AMIRA MUSALLAM VIA REUTERS Israeli forces on Wednesday, October 21, briefly detained a US congressional candidate as he joined activists supporting Palestinians harvesting olives in the face of threats by extremist settlers.
Brad Lander, a left-wing Democrat who is expected to easily win a House seat in New York City on November 3, posted on social media that he was detained along with a group of rabbis and volunteers as they harvested olives west of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. "The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know," Lander wrote on X. He later wrote that he was released on account of his prominence, adding that "Palestinians face far worse consequences every day."
Read more Subscribers only In the occupied West Bank, one Palestinian family's story shows the limits of the Israeli court system The Israeli foreign ministry lashed out at Lander over what it called a "calculated political stunt," and said he had ignored guidance to coordinate with Israeli authorities. "This was not about harvesting olives. It was about harvesting headlines." The Israeli military said that the Palestinian landowner had not requested permission to conduct the harvest: "This coordination is necessary to ensure the security of the area and maintain public order," it said, pointing to the "security risk of an uncoordinated harvest" near an Israeli settlement.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article gives Israel's reasons for the detention: no coordination, ignored guidance and a security risk. It never says that the area was declared a closed military zone only that morning. It also omits that the volunteers told the Israeli forces they would respect the order and leave, and were then told they could not leave and were detained. Without this, a reader believes the group knowingly defied an order or set guidance.
How we know
- Al-Monitor reported“Goodman said they were not aware the area had been declared a closed military zone since it had only been issued that morning but they told the Israeli forces they would respect the order and leave.”US Democratic congressional candidate Lander detained by Israeli authorities in West Bank (opens in a new tab)
- The Guardian reported“Soldiers said the area had been declared a closed military zone”Israeli military detain US and UK volunteers in West Bank including Democratic NY politician Brad Lander (opens in a new tab)
Multiple attacks by settlers Israel has faced growing international criticism over violence during the harvest, with rights groups documenting multiple attacks and other disruptions each day by settlers against Palestinians. Israeli settlers are seen near farmers as they pick olives in Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on October 20, 2026. ZAIN JAAFAR / AFP Israel on Monday announced it had made several arrests after settlers beat up a US photojournalist covering the incidents and a French mayor who had come for the olive season.
The violence comes in the final days before Israeli elections in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to shore up his right-wing base, which is staunchly pro-settlement. Israel has come under growing fire within the United States, traditionally its top ally. Lander, who is Jewish, is a close ally of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israeli policies. In a party primary in June, Lander ousted the sitting congressman, Dan Goldman, one of a dwindling number of Democrats who support Israel.
Le Monde with AFP
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