Brad Lander, a Democratic congressional candidate from New York City, was detained by Israeli military forces on Wednesday while participating in an olive harvest with Palestinian farmers in the West Bank. Lander, who is Jewish and a longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, was held for approximately three hours before being released. Dozens of other volunteers, including a group of American rabbis, remained in custody following the incident.

The olive harvest, which began last month, is a significant cultural and economic event for Palestinian villages in the West Bank. In recent weeks, tensions and attacks by Israeli extremist settlers against Palestinians in the area have increased, adding to the volatility during this period.

Lander was detained near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, where Israeli authorities said the volunteers had not obtained the required coordination or approval before participating in the harvest. The Israeli military described the action as a security risk and justified the detentions on that basis. Israeli police later clarified that Lander was released after authorities became aware of his status as a candidate for Congress, a point Lander himself acknowledged during a phone interview. He expressed frustration at receiving preferential treatment, stating that he had done nothing different from the other detainees.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry criticized Lander’s participation in the olive harvest, accusing him of staging "reckless political theater" by deliberately entering a restricted area and engaging in unauthorized activities without proper coordination.

The detainees were reportedly taken to a police facility in the West Bank. Lander shared updates on social media, posting a photo of himself on a bus after his release and describing the situation.

Lander has previously described Israel’s military presence in the West Bank as “a crime under international law.” Meanwhile, the Israeli military maintains that the detentions were necessary to address security concerns related to uncoordinated activity near an Israeli community.

The incident underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding the annual olive harvest in the West Bank and the broader complexities of Israeli-Palestinian relations in the territory.