Israel accuses Lander of ‘harvesting headlines’ after his detention while accompanying West Bank olive harvest

The Foreign Ministry claims US Congressional candidate Brad Lander instigated a “calculated political provocation” after he was detained today by Israeli forces along with dozens of activists trying to protect Palestinian olive harvesters from settler attacks.

“This was not about harvesting olives. It was about harvesting headlines,” the Foreign Ministry tweets.

The ministry claims Lander entered a “restricted security area,” even though official maps from the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration show that the area where his group was detained was not one that required prior coordination with the IDF in order to enter.

“What makes this stunt even more outrageous is that his own team contacted Israeli representatives in the United States ahead of his visit and was explicitly informed that proper coordination with the relevant authorities was required. He chose to ignore those instructions,” the Foreign Ministry argues.

“Had anyone been injured as a result of his reckless political theater, Lander would undoubtedly have been among the first to demand that Israeli authorities intervene and provide protection,” the tweet continues. “Brad Lander came looking for a confrontation. Now he is pretending to be its victim.”