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Mamdani demands release of New Yorkers held with Lander at West Bank harvest
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for the immediate release of New Yorkers detained by Israeli forces while helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives in the West Bank, after former city comptroller Brad Lander was held for about three hours and released with a warning.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday demanded the release of New Yorkers detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, where they had joined Palestinian farmers for the annual olive harvest. "Harvesting olives is not illegal. The occupation is," Mamdani wrote, adding that he was thankful Brad Lander had been released but that "other New Yorkers remain detained, and they must be released immediately."
Mamdani also accused the Israeli government of committing "a horrific genocide against Palestinians," citing a death toll of more than 74,000, and called for an end to the occupation.
Detained for about three hours
Lander, the former New York City comptroller and the Democratic nominee for New York's 10th Congressional District, said he was detained on Oct. 21 with a group of rabbis and volunteers from the Protect the Harvest coalition near Bethlehem and held for about three hours. "I've been released from IDF custody with a 'warning,' apparently because of my public profile," he said. At least 33 American citizens were detained, including Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of the rabbinic human rights group T'ruah, according to New Jewish Narrative, a member of the coalition.
Lander said the group was harvesting peacefully on privately owned Palestinian land, which was declared a closed military zone only after they arrived. "Coordination is not required. This was private Palestinian land," he said. He later said the remaining American volunteers were released without charges, while Israeli participants received 15- to 30-day bans from entering the West Bank.
Israel: 'Harvesting headlines'
The Israeli military said the group had failed "to request and receive the required coordination to maintain security and public order near the community." Israel's Foreign Ministry said: "This was not about harvesting olives. It was about harvesting headlines." The Times of Israel reported that a Civil Administration map showed the site was outside the areas requiring coordination.
Lander, who faces voters on Nov. 3, said he would back the Stop the Settlements Act introduced by Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas, which would sanction those involved in settlement expansion and bar imports of goods made in settlements.
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