Who Is Brad Lander? Zohran Mamdani Ally Detained by Israeli Forces in West Bank

Brad Lander, a close ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th Congressional District, was detained by Israeli forces Wednesday while participating in an olive harvest alongside Palestinian farmers and activists in the occupied West Bank.

The former New York City comptroller was among dozens of Israeli and international activists detained near Husan, west of Bethlehem, during an activity organized by Israeli human rights group Rabbis for Human Rights.

Brad Lander Detained During West Bank Olive Harvest

Palestinian activist Amira Muslim told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces detained 45 foreign activists, including Lander, and 25 Israeli activists while they were harvesting olives in Husan. She said authorities placed the group on buses and transferred them to a nearby settlement.

Rabbis for Human Rights reported that Lander was detained alongside approximately 80 of its members and American activists. The drones began circling overhead after approximately two hours of harvesting. Israeli military and police personnel subsequently arrived, declared the area a closed military zone and escorted participants away from the olive grove.

The activists were later detained near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit. Two Israeli lawyers who work on such cases told NPR that the incident represented the largest mass detention of activists in the occupied West Bank in at least a decade.

Lander confirmed his detention in a post on X, writing, “I’ve been detained by the IDF, along with a group of rabbis and volunteers. We were simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim in the West Bank. The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn’t a crime under any law I know.”

He also shared a photograph showing himself aboard a bus with Israeli soldiers visible at the front. The volunteers had agreed to leave the area before they were detained. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Israeli authorities intended to file charges against Lander or the other participants.

Brad Lander’s Political Career and Mamdani Alliance

Lander previously served as New York City comptroller and is the Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th Congressional District, which covers Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. He won the June 2026 Democratic primary with 62% of the vote, defeating two-term incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman.

Before becoming comptroller, Lander served on the New York City Council for a decade, representing neighborhoods in Brooklyn. He also contested the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary, finishing third behind Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

During the final stretch of that campaign, Lander cross-endorsed Mamdani under New York City’s ranked-choice voting system, strengthening their political alliance. Mamdani subsequently endorsed Lander’s congressional campaign, alongside Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Lander identifies as a Jewish liberal Zionist but has been critical of Israel’s military conduct in Gaza, describing the conflict as a “genocide.” Mamdani, who has also been critical of the Israeli government, publicly praised Lander during his congressional primary election night gathering in Brooklyn. Introducing Lander, the mayor described him as someone who “brings a sincerity to this work” and “a vision of politics that is more than what we have seen for so long.”

West Bank Olive Harvest Faces Growing Restrictions

Lander’s detention occurred during the annual Palestinian olive harvest, an important source of income for farming communities in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian farmers have faced increasing difficulties accessing agricultural land, particularly near Israeli settlements, amid settler violence and military restrictions following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Israeli human rights organizations, including Rabbis for Human Rights, accompany farmers during the harvest to help them access their land and document incidents involving settlers and security forces. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had moved to issue exclusion orders against activists assisting Palestinian olive growers, citing information from the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing West Bank settlements.

Lander’s detention also followed a reported attack on Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine, who was beaten and robbed by Israeli settlers at a West Bank olive grove days earlier. In September, he and 10 other elected officials were arrested while attempting to inspect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention rooms at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. Lander has previously described his willingness to put his “body on the line” over civil liberties issues.