Israeli security forces detained dozens of international volunteer monitors, including a U.S. congressional candidate and activists from New Jersey, on Wednesday during a Palestinian olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.
The detentions come amid a surge in violent attacks by Israeli settlers during the annual harvest season, which has emerged as a major flashpoint in the days leading up to Israel’s national elections.
Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller who is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House, was among roughly 90 volunteers rounded up by Israeli forces on farmland near the Palestinian village of Nahalin, southwest of Bethlehem.
Lander, who is Jewish and running as a self-described liberal Zionist, said he was held for about three hours at the Etzion military base before being released.
Israeli police confirmed Lander’s release, saying he was freed after authorities learned he was a candidate for U.S. Congress. Lander told reporters he protested the preferential treatment, saying he had done nothing different from the other volunteers.
Among those held was also Dr. Alan Gordon, a constituent from New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. Gordon was held for over seven hours before his release, according to a statement from Congresswoman Analilia Mejia’s office and regional advocates.
In a statement, New Jersey political leaders condemned the detentions, highlighting the mounting threats faced by volunteers providing a “protective presence” for Palestinian families.
“I am relieved that Dr. Gordon and his fellow advocates have been released,” said Mejia. “The problem in the West Bank is not peaceful volunteers helping Palestinian families harvest their crops. It is violent settlers terrorizing Palestinian communities with the backing and protection of the Netanyahu government.”
The volunteers, organized by a coalition of groups including Rabbis for Human Rights, Israelis for Peace, and T’ruah, had gathered to shield Palestinian farmers from extremist Israeli settlers.
Human rights organizations report more than 95 violent episodes linked to the harvest in recent weeks, including a Friday assault that left a American photojournalist with fractured vertebrae and an attack over the weekend on a delegation of European diplomats.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the group was detained for participating in an “uncoordinated olive harvest” in a restricted security zone near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit.
“Harvesting in this area requires a request to be submitted to the relevant authorities in advance of the start of the olive harvest season,” the IDF said, adding that coordination is required to maintain security and public order.
Israel’s foreign ministry characterized Lander’s actions as “reckless political theater” and accused him of deliberately entering a restricted zone without permission. Lander disputed the claim, providing correspondence from the U.S. Embassy indicating that military coordination is recommended but not legally required for foreign visitors.
Israeli police said Wednesday evening that 72 of those detained in the incident had been released, while four foreign nationals remained in custody facing potential deportation hearings. Israeli citizens detained in the sweep were issued varying temporary bans from entering the West Bank.
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