Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander has been released from Israeli custody after being detained while helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives in the occupied West Bank, but dozens of other volunteers remain held.
01Summary
- 01Brad Lander, a Democratic US congressional candidate, was detained by Israeli soldiers near the village of Nahalin outside Bethlehem on Wednesday.
- 02Lander was released with a warning; approximately 80 volunteers, including rabbis and internationals, were detained in total.
- 03The volunteers were accompanying Palestinian farmers when Israeli forces declared the area a closed military zone.
- 04Rabbis for Human Rights organised the olive harvest assistance; detainees included American, Israeli, Palestinian, British and Canadian citizens.
- 05The Israeli government has not responded to requests for comment on the detentions.
02Why it matters
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and risks for international volunteers and activists in the occupied West Bank, and could become a political issue in the US congressional race involving a high-profile candidate.
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