Brad Lander detained by Israeli military during West Bank olive harvest

New York congressional candidate Brad Lander stated on Wednesday that he was detained by the Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank, according to the New York Post, NBC News, and NBC New York. The New York Post reported that Lander was detained while harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim alongside a group of rabbis and volunteers. [1][7][8]

Lander posted a photo of himself on social media while onboard a bus following the encounter, the New York Post reported. Several other news outlets, including ABC7 New York, Ynetnews, and The Jerusalem Post, also reported on the detainment of the candidate. [1][4][5][6]

Lander is a progressive Democrat running for Congress in New York's 10th congressional district in the November 3 election, having previously defeated incumbent representative Dan Goldman in the primary. He served as New York City comptroller from 2022 until 2025 and was a member of the New York City Council from 2010 to 2021. [1][9]

The incident occurred in the West Bank, a landlocked Palestinian territory located west of the Jordan River. The territory has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. [10]