Brad Lander, the Democratic nominee for New York's 10th congressional district, says Israeli forces briefly detained him on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank. According to NBC News, Lander, a former NYC comptroller, was picking olives for Palestinian farmers with more than 40 international volunteers and 28 Israelis connected to human rights groups. He said he was released with a warning, apparently because of his public profile, while the rest of the group stayed in custody. Twelve U.S. rabbis from the Jewish human rights group T'ruah, including its CEO, were among those detained.

The two sides tell very different stories. Lander says the group was peacefully harvesting a grove that hadn't been picked since October 7, 2023, because farmers felt unsafe near a nearby Israeli settlement. He also says they were never asked to leave. The Israel Defense Forces said the harvest wasn't coordinated with authorities as required and created a security risk near an Israeli community. Israeli officials reportedly told the group it was "causing a disturbance of public order."

The detention comes amid rising tension in the West Bank. Last week brought high-profile settler attacks, including one that injured a Washington Post photojournalist, and Israeli police have since arrested 10 suspects. Israel has been a big issue in Lander's race: he beat Rep. Dan Goldman in the primary and has been sharply critical of Israel's government. Last year, Lander was also detained while trying to inspect an immigration facility in New York, and he was later found not guilty.