New York House candidate Brad Lander was held by the Israeli military for a short time while visiting the West Bank. He was released with a warning, but his group stayed in custody longer. The event happened on the third day of his trip to the region.
According to the Washington Examiner, Lander posted on X that he was let go because of his public profile. He told officers he was just a nominee, not a sitting member of Congress yet. Fox News reported the group was harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim when the detention occurred.
Detention and Release Details
Lander said he was detained along with a group of rabbis and volunteers. The arrest appeared to happen without any force or resistance from the group. They were told to board a bus to a police station in the Beitar settlement. They kept their phones and personal items during the trip.
After arriving at the station, Lander was released quickly. He posted a message stating, “I’ve been released from IDF custody with a ‘warning,’ apparently because of my public profile (I told them I wasn’t even a congressmember yet, just a nominee),” he said. However, he noted that others were not free yet.
Detention continues to hold me alongside several dozen rabbis and participants who were gathering olives. For harvesting olives. They should all be released immediately, he said. The group he was with, Rabbis for Peace, confirmed the detention on social media.
Reasons Given for the Arrest
According to the group, Israeli police detained Lander because he stood with Palestinians during the olive harvest. Lander has been a vocal critic of Israel during his campaign. He spent time in the West Bank to hear stories about violence from settlers. He released videos of interviews with locals before his own arrest.
A video features Lander stating that the Palestinians owning this land possess a right to harvest it peacefully. He is a Jewish candidate who previously left the Democratic Socialists of America. He scored a primary upset against Rep. Dan Goldman earlier this year.
Lander also shared an interview with Amira Musallam about alleged assaults on a mother and children. He called for an end to “state-sanctioned settler terrorism” in the area. Settler violence has increased since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas last year.
Campaign Context and Next Steps
Lander is a key ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He was endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just before the detention event. Fox News noted that it is unclear if the other detainees have been released yet. The outlet reached out to his campaign for more comment.
Democrats overwhelmingly dominate New York’s 10th Congressional District. This means Lander is almost certain to win his general election. He will likely come to Congress next year if he wins the seat. The Washington Examiner observed that his arrest is expected to provoke outrage within many Democratic circles.
The Trump administration has condemned settler violence in the West Bank. Even pro-Israel figures like U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee have spoken out against it. Lander’s trip focused on shining a light on these specific issues before the election. The story remains focused on the events of that Wednesday morning.
