Brad Lander, a Democratic nominee, was detained by Israeli forces while participating in an olive harvest in the West Bank. He was with a group of rabbis and volunteers. Lander stated that the occupation is a crime under international law, and harvesting olives is not. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani supported Lander, calling the occupation a crime and criticizing the Israeli government. The detention, which involved about 80 people, was described as the largest mass detention of activists in the West Bank in a decade. The IDF initially stated Lander was released once the matter was brought to their attention. Israel's Foreign Ministry accused Lander of staging a political provocation to harvest headlines in a restricted security area. Lander's campaign claimed he was detained for helping a farmer harvest his own olives, while Israel maintained it was a planned stunt in a restricted zone. A map distributed by Israel's Civil Administration seemed to contradict the claim that prior coordination was required. The incident has created a diplomatic spat between Israel and New York City officials. The detention of the group, including numerous rabbis, has raised concerns about potential deportations and its impact on US-Israel relations.