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Israeli military detains US politician Brad Lander and rabbis at olive harvest
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- Around 80 US, Israeli, and British volunteers, including New York Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander, several rabbis, and Israel’s former deputy attorney general, were detained by the Israeli military while helping Palestinians harvest olives near Bethlehem.
- The volunteers were peacefully harvesting on private Palestinian land when Israeli forces intervened, declaring the area a closed military zone and detaining the group without any apparent friction or violence.
- Brad Lander, a liberal Zionist and outspoken critic of Israeli policies, was released with a warning, while others, including prominent human rights activists and rabbis, remain detained without food but with access to water.
- The incident highlights ongoing tensions in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians during olive harvests has drawn international condemnation and calls for Israeli authorities to curb militant attacks.
- Lander and other critics condemn Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, support restrictions on US military aid to Israel, and describe recent Israeli military actions in Gaza as genocidal.
