Mamdani condemns Israel after Brand Lander detained in West Bank

NEW YORK (MNTV) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has renewed his condemnation of Israel after Brad Lander, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 10th Congressional District, was detained while accompanying Palestinian farmers during an olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.

“Harvesting olives is not illegal. The occupation is,” Mamdani wrote on X, expressing relief that Lander had been freed while demanding the release of other New Yorkers reported still in custody. 

He accused the Israeli government of committing genocide against Palestinians and called for an end to the occupation.

Lander, a former New York City comptroller who defeated Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary, was detained near the village of Nahalin and released several hours later; rights groups said roughly 80 people, including American rabbis, were held in the operation. 

The olive harvest is central to Palestinian rural livelihoods and identity, and access to groves has repeatedly been disrupted by settler violence and movement restrictions. 

The occupation itself was found unlawful by the International Court of Justice in a 2024 advisory opinion.

Mamdani linked the detention to the broader conditions facing Palestinians, saying human rights concerns “do not end at municipal borders.” 

The release of Lander, he and supporters noted, does not resolve the status of those still held or the restrictions confronting Palestinian farmers.