Israel frees dozens of Americans, including U.S. Congress nominee, after West Bank detention

Israeli security forces, including military and police, declared a closed military zone around a olive grove and escorted activists and rabbis away from the area before detaining them near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit in the occupied West Bank. Ruth Sherlock/NPR hide caption

Ruth Sherlock/NPR

NAHALIN, West Bank, and TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was detained along with about 80 American and Israeli rabbis and activists detained by Israeli security forces as they helped Palestinians harvest olives from their grove close to a settlement in the occupied West Bank.

This is the largest mass detention of activists in the occupied West Bank in at least a decade, two Israeli lawyers who work on these cases told NPR. And Rabbi Arik Asherman, a longtime Israeli human rights proponent, called the detentions "unprecedented."

It was not clear what they accused the group accused of by Israeli authorities. Israel's military and police did not immediately comment. The military had said the area was a closed military zone.

"We've been detained by the Israeli military for harvesting olives, and let's be clear: Occupation is a crime under international law," Lander said in a video he filmed from the bus the group was loaded onto to be taken to the police station. "Harvesting olives is not a crime under any law."

American rabbis from the U.S. organization T'ruah, the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights and other activists had joined Palestinian families in picking olives at their grove close to the Israeli settlement of Betar Illit.

Activists and rabbis from the United States and Israel help Palestinians harvest olives in Nahalin, near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, in the occupied West Bank. Ruth Sherlock/NPR hide caption

Ruth Sherlock/NPR

Olive harvesting is an important time for Palestinians both culturally and economically. But it has become increasingly hard for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to access their fields. Several Palestinians there told NPR they have been unable to harvest their olive trees there since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, saying it had become too dangerous in the face of rising settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.

Wednesday's detentions came less than a week after American photojournalist Heidi Levine, working for The Washington Post was assaulted by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the latest journalist to come under attack during the Palestinian olive harvest season.

Democratic congressman Ro Khanna of California was also briefly detained by Israeli forces during his trip to the West Bank in July.

The group of Americans and Israelis had joined the Palestinian farmers hoping their presence would help them harvest in peace.

After roughly two hours, drones began circling overhead and Israeli security forces arrived and declared the area a closed military zone. They detained the Israeli and American activists and took them to the police station for questioning.