Brad Lander detained by Israeli forces during West Bank olive harvest Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was detained by the Israel Defense Forces while participating in an olive harvest in the West Bank, according to his social media posts and an Israeli human rights group. Brad Lander, the Democratic nominee for New York's 10th Congressional District and former New York City comptroller, said Wednesday that he was detained by the Israel Defense Forces while participating in an olive harvest in the West Bank. Lander Detained By IDF During Olive HarvestLander, who is Jewish and has been an outspoken critic of Israel, is running for Congress in the Nov. 3 election. He defeated outgoing Rep. Dan Goldman in their June primary, mounting a challenge from the left. In a social media post, Lander wrote: I've been detained by the IDF, along with a group of rabbis and volunteers.We were simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim in the West Bank. He included a picture of himself glaring at the camera while onboard a bus with others who were on their phones and did not seem fazed. He added: The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know.It is unclear if Lander was doing anything else besides olive harvesting. According to the Israeli human rights group Rabbis for Human Rights, Lander was among roughly 90 volunteers and activists detained Wednesday while accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest near the village of Nahalin, outside Bethlehem. The group said volunteers had been helping farmers harvest olives on land they had been unable to access since Oct. 7.Activists Detained After Receiving Military OrderThe organization said the group had been harvesting for about two hours when Israeli army, police and Border Police forces arrived and presented a military order designating the area a closed military zone for 24 hours. Representatives of the group said they agreed to comply and leave the area, but authorities nonetheless held those present for identification, photographing passports and identification cards before transporting them to a police station.The detention came days after Lander announced he was traveling in the West Bank as part of the Protect the Harvest coalition alongside multiple advocacy groups. In a post on Monday, he said the trip's goals were to help Palestinian farmers harvest olives, document conditions in the West Bank and support efforts to protect Palestinian communities from violence and displacement. He also said the coalition sought to secure human rights, safety, equality and freedom for both Palestinians and Israelis.Rabbis For Human Rights Condemn DetentionIn a statement released by Rabbis for Human Rights, Acting Executive Director Anton Goodman said: We came to accompany farmers to land they have not been able to reach in three years, and after two hours of quiet harvesting large forces arrived and closed the area. No one could have known about this order in advance. Instead of protecting people working their own land, the army is removing them from it, and detaining those who came to stand beside them.It was not immediately clear whether Lander remained in custody Wednesday or whether any charges were filed.