80 Israelis and Americans, including NY Democrat Brad Lander, detained in West Bank

Israeli security forces, including military and police, declared a closed military zone around a olive grove and escorted activists and rabbis away from the area before detaining them near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit in the occupied West Bank. Ruth Sherlock/NPR hide caption Ruth Sherlock/NPR NAHALIN, West Bank, and TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was detained along with about 80 American and Israeli rabbis and activists detained by Israeli security forces as they helped Palestinians harvest olives from their grove close to a settlement in the occupied West Bank. This is the largest mass detention of activists in the occupied West Bank in at least a decade, two Israeli lawyers who work on these cases told NPR. And Rabbi Arik Asherman, a longtime Israeli human rights proponent, called the detentions "unprecedented." It was not clear what they accused the group accused of by Israeli authorities. Israel's military and police did not immediately comment. The military had said the area was a closed military zone. "We've been detained by the Israeli military for harvesting olives, and let's be clear: Occupation is a crime under international...