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US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander was released after being detained by the Israeli army while accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. Lander said the army let go with only a warning, probably because the name was publicly recognized.

Dozens of rabbis and activists who joined the harvest remain in custody. Israel has released 72 of those held and is preparing to deport four foreign activists.

Lander links release to public profile

Lander announced the release on the US-based social media platform X and said dozens of rabbis and activists who had accompanied Palestinians gathering olives were still being held by the Israeli army. The organization Rabbis for Human Rights had earlier said Lander was detained in a village near Bethlehem together with 80 group members and US activists.

"The Israeli army released me with only a 'warning', probably because I am a recognizable figure," Lander wrote. "I had told them I was not even a member of Congress yet, only a candidate."

Lander called for the immediate release of the rabbis and activists detained alongside the farmers. "Frankly speaking, Palestinians face far harsher conditions than this every day," Lander said, describing the arrests as an attempt to undermine Palestinians' right to harvest their olive groves, travel on their roads and live in their homes. Lander also called the attacks by the Israeli army and Israelis seizing Palestinian land "a new link in an escalating and clearly state-run ethnic cleansing."

Israel calls episode a 'planned political provocation'

Israel rejected Lander's account. In a post on the US-based platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the congressional candidate, who was in the area to support Palestinians, of "planned political provocation." The ministry's message attacked Lander with the words: "The issue was not picking olives, it was making headlines."

72 activists released, four face deportation

Israeli police said 72 of the activists detained while supporting Palestinians during the olive harvest have been freed. Of those, 32 were released on condition that they not enter the West Bank, and 40 were freed without any restrictions.

Four foreign activists were scheduled to appear at a hearing at the Population and Immigration Authority tomorrow before being deported. Police alleged that the activists had carried out "anti-Israel activities" and supported "anti-Israel organizations."

Detained participants describe the harvest

Rabbis for Human Rights, which organized the event, said close to 80 activists were detained by Israeli forces, of whom 52 were foreign nationals and most were Jewish.

Barbara Gaffin, a 72-year-old activist who came from the US to help with the olive harvest, questioned the detention. "We were doing nothing illegal, just picking olives and helping Palestinians with their annual harvest, all entirely legal," Gaffin said.

Yeşua Schoffman, a former Deputy Attorney General of Israel who was detained in the occupied West Bank, wrote on X: "They told me I was detained on suspicion of picking olives. There was not the slightest friction with settlers or security forces."

Key takeaways

• Brad Lander said the Israeli army released the congressional candidate with only a warning, likely because the name was publicly recognized.
• Dozens of rabbis and activists detained during the Palestinian olive harvest remain in Israeli custody, Lander said.
• Israeli police released 72 activists, 32 of them barred from entering the West Bank, and plan to deport four foreign activists.
• Israel's Foreign Ministry accused Lander of "planned political provocation," saying the aim was headlines rather than harvesting olives.