Israel Mocks US House Nominee Over 'Detained' Olive Harvest Claim
The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Brad Lander of staging a political provocation, calling his account of being held by the IDF 'headline harvesting.'
Israel's Foreign Ministry has criticized U.S. House nominee Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller, for claiming he was "detained" by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while participating in an olive harvest in the West Bank. The ministry stated that Lander's actions were not about olive harvesting but rather "harvesting headlines" and constituted a "calculated political provocation."
Lander, who is running for Congress as a Democrat, posted a video from a bus where he claimed to have been held by the IDF along with a group of rabbis and volunteers. He has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, accusing the country of committing genocide. Israel's official government account on social media also stated that Lander's team was informed of proper procedures but failed to coordinate with authorities. The account added that Lander "traveled to a foreign country, deliberately entered a restricted security area, and participated in an unauthorized activity without the required coordination."
"Brad Lander came looking for a confrontation. Now he is pretending to be its victim," the Israeli government account posted.
Lander defeated Rep. Dan Goldman in the June Democratic primary and is favored to win his district, which encompasses lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. A spokesperson for Lander did not immediately respond to a request for comment.