Israeli security forces detained about 80 volunteers on Wednesday while they were assisting Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest near the West Bank village of Nahalin, including Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from New York. Lander, a former New York City comptroller and self-described liberal Zionist, was released after several hours, while others, including American and Israeli activists and a group of rabbis, remained in custody for a time before being released or facing possible deportation.

The volunteers, part of an international delegation organized by groups such as Protect the Harvest, Rabbis for Human Rights, and T’ruah, were aiming to help Palestinian farmers protect their olive groves from increasing attacks by Israeli settlers. This year’s olive harvest has been marked by heightened tensions and violence, with reports of clashes, arson, and theft directed at Palestinians in the area. Human rights organizations and Palestinian groups have criticized the Israeli military for restricting Palestinians’ access to privately owned farmland, expanding the area requiring military coordination to 34 square miles—an increase of nearly 30% from previous years.

According to Israeli authorities, the group conducted an “uncoordinated harvest” near the settlement of Beitar Illit without prior approval from the military, which they require as a security measure. Israeli officials stated that such coordination is necessary to ensure the safety of the area and maintain public order, particularly given recent tensions during the harvest season. Israeli police confirmed that Lander’s release was partly due to his status as a congressional candidate. They said most detainees were released by late evening, though a few remained in custody to face immigration proceedings.

Lander criticized his detention, calling the occupation of the West Bank “a crime under international law” and stating that “harvesting olives isn’t a crime under any law I know.” He accused Israeli forces of attempting to undermine Palestinians’ rights to access their land and carry out their harvest. Other detainees included prominent activists such as Jill Jacobs, chief executive of T’ruah, who condemned the Israeli government for what she described as a “systematic, state-backed campaign” of displacing Palestinians from their land.

Israeli government officials dismissed the volunteers’ mission as a provocation. Israel’s foreign ministry accused Lander of deliberately entering a restricted security area and staging “political theater,” while emphasizing that many coordinated harvests have taken place peacefully with prior military approval. Some critics of Lander’s mission portrayed it as a politically motivated gesture that disregards established security procedures and exacerbates local tensions.

The olive harvest season has become a flashpoint amid escalating settler violence and military restrictions in the West Bank. In recent weeks, attacks by settlers have involved assaults on journalists and European diplomats, sparking international concern. Israeli human rights groups have accused the military of failing to prevent settler violence and of imposing additional obstacles on Palestinian farmers. Meanwhile, Palestinian officials have reported that Israeli forces have declared certain areas closed military zones, barring farmers from harvesting crops without explanation.

The detention of Lander and other activists comes shortly before Israel’s upcoming national elections and reflects ongoing disputes over land rights and security in the occupied territories. The incidents have drawn reactions from political allies in the United States, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who called for the immediate release of all those detained and criticized Israeli military actions amid a broader context of conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.