Why Was Brad Lander Detained in the West Bank? Questions and Answers

Israeli forces on Wednesday detained dozens of rabbis and activists who were helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives near the village of Nahalin in the occupied West Bank. Among them was Brad Lander, the Democratic nominee for New York's 10th congressional district. Lander later said he was released with a warning, while several dozen others remained in custody.

The Israeli military says the farmers had not obtained the required coordination approval. Organizers say the volunteers were there to protect the farmers and were doing nothing wrong.

What happened near Nahalin?

According to NPR, American rabbis from the U.S. group T'ruah, members of the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights and other activists joined Palestinian families at their olive grove close to the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit. T'ruah said the action was called Protect the Harvest.

Rabbis for Human Rights said Israeli forces arrived about two hours after the harvest began and declared a closed military zone. It said the group could not have known that in advance. NPR reported that drones circled overhead before security forces arrived. The volunteers were put on buses and taken to a police station.

Who was detained, and how many?

Reports differ on the total. The Independent, citing rights groups, put the number at 90 volunteers. NPR and Al Jazeera reported about 80. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, chief executive of T'ruah, told Reuters that 33 U.S. citizens were among those held, along with a number of British and Canadian citizens.

Al Jazeera, citing Rabbis for Human Rights, said the group included American, Israeli, Palestinian, British and Canadian volunteers. T'ruah told NPR that a Palestinian family was also detained.

What did Lander say?

Lander, a former New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate, filmed a video from the bus. He said the group had been detained for harvesting olives and argued that the occupation is a crime under international law but that harvesting olives is not a crime. He later wrote on X that he had been released from military custody with a warning, which he presumed was because of his “public profile.” He called for the others to be freed immediately.

What does the Israeli military say?

The military told NPR that farmers in the area must submit requests to the authorities before the harvest season so that security and public order can be coordinated. It said Palestinians there did not submit a request, so soldiers and police detained those present. On Lander, it said he was released once his detention was brought to its attention.

Jacobs said that, as far as she knew, police had made no formal accusations against the group. She said it was unclear why they were held or whether they would be charged. She told NPR the military had forcibly removed people who came to offer protection, and she called it part of a state-backed campaign to drive Palestinians from their land. Israeli authorities have rejected accusations of ethnic cleansing.

Why does it matter?

For Palestinian families, the olive harvest is culturally and economically important. NPR reported that access to fields has become harder in the occupied West Bank. Several Palestinians told the outlet they have been unable to harvest their trees since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, saying rising settler attacks made it too dangerous. This comes amid a spike in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian farmers, NPR reported.

For readers in the U.S. and Britain, the case involves citizens of both countries and a candidate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Two Israeli lawyers who work on related cases told NPR it was the largest mass detention of activists in the occupied West Bank in at least a decade. Rabbi Arik Ascherman, a longtime Israeli human rights advocate, called it unprecedented.

What is still unknown?

It is not clear how many people remain in custody or whether any will face charges. The Independent reported there was no immediate comment from Israeli police, the military or the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Al Jazeera said the Israeli government had not responded to its request for comment.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent, NPR, Al Jazeera