Brad Lander Reveals The Shocking Reason Behind His IDF Detention
Brad Lander says he was detained by Israeli forces while picking olives in the West Bank. The New York City comptroller and Democratic nominee for Congress made the claim on social media. He posted a photo of himself on a bus with others. Lander said the group included rabbis and volunteers. This happened near the village of Nahalin outside Bethlehem.
Lander wrote on X that he was part of a group harvesting olives. He stated the occupation is illegal under international law. He wrote: "The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know." Per Gothamist, he announced earlier in the week that he was there with the "Protect the Harvest" coalition. The group aims to help Palestinian farmers face what Lander calls settler terrorism.
Amy Spitalnick, who leads the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, mentioned she contacted friends. She told Gothamist that 33 American citizens were being held as of Wednesday morning. She said the group included "many rabbis and a soon-to-be-congressman." In the June Democratic primary, Lander defeated Rep. Dan Goldman. He is running for the state's 10th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 3 election.
I’ve been detained by the IDF, along with a group of rabbis & volunteers. We were simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim in the West Bank.
The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn’t a crime under any law I know. https://t.co/r7B5Q3RvjY
— Brad Lander (@bradlander) October 21, 2026
According to the New York Post, Lander shared an image showing him staring at the camera. Others on the bus were on their phones. NBC News confirms Lander shared an image of himself on a bus and said he had been detained.
Rabbis for Human Rights posted images of the apparent arrest. Gothamist notes that settlers attacked a Washington Post photojournalist last week. The day after, settlers attacked a delegation of European diplomats. Lander has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. He is an outspoken critic of Israel. NBC News contacted Lander and his campaign to seek comment. No immediate response came from the IDF regarding a request for comment.
Neither the Israeli Defense Forces nor the State Department responded immediately. The story is still developing according to Gothamist. Lander said his goals were to protect the harvest and shed light on the occupation. Stating that the trip aims to protect the olive harvest and highlight the reality of the occupation, he said: "Our goals for the trip are to help protect the olive harvest — and to shed a light on the reality of the occupation." No official statement from the IDF has been released yet.