New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for the end of what he called genocide and occupation at the hands of the Israeli government, along with the release of several activists affiliated with Rabbis for Human Rights.
“Today, Brad Lander, rabbis, and other New Yorkers accompanied Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest. For that, they were detained by the Israeli government,” he wrote, specifically noting that Lander was released by Israel Police.
“Harvesting olives is not illegal. The occupation is. The same Israeli government detaining them has committed a horrific genocide against Palestinians, killing more than 74,000 people over the last few years alone.
“The detention of these New Yorkers must end. The occupation must end. The genocide must end.”
Mamdani’s comments come after several other Jewish organizations and world leaders decried the IDF’s decision to detain around 90 volunteers who went to help Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest in the West Bank town of Nahalin.
Israel's Consul-General in New York, Ofir Akunis, denounced Mamdani's comments, saying, "Mind your business. The land of Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, including Judea and Samaria."
"Clean New York City before you talk about the State of Israel," he added.
'Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know'
The IDF claimed that it detained the activists and declared the olive grove a closed military area because the Palestinian person who owned the private land did not coordinate any security measures with the IDF.
However, activists with Rabbis for Human Rights told The Jerusalem Post that they wrote letters to several IDF personnel who command the area, and that they never received a response.
The activists noted that they mostly coordinated with the Palestinian landowner because the grove was on his private property.
Notably, KAN News reported that the area that volunteers were helping harvest in does not require IDF coordination.
For his part, Lander wrote in an initial statement after his detainment that he was "simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim in the West Bank."
"The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn’t a crime under any law I know," he added.
Former attorney-general and former deputy attorney-general Yehoshua Schoffman called the incident a “complete hallucination.”
Rabbis say Israel's actions are causing 'terrible damage' to Jewish world
In response to reports that Israeli authorities are inclined to deport the foreign activists, The Democrats MK and Rabbi Gilad Kariv called for Jewish organizations in Israel and the Diaspora to intervene.
"According to the information we have, the police and military are seeking to deport the dozens of Jewish volunteers from North America who came today to assist with the olive harvest in Gush Etzion. Among this group are prominent and influential rabbis, community leaders, and public figures," he wrote in a post on X/Twitter.
"They did not break any laws or violate any lawful orders, nor did they confront anyone. Their deportation, if carried out, would cause enormous damage to Israel's standing among Jewish and general public opinion in the US.
"I call on the leaders of the Jewish Agency, the heads of Jewish organizations in the US, and AIPAC leadership to intervene in this madness. I have no expectations of Ben-Gvir, Katz, or Netanyahu, but it is time for us to stand up against the terrible damage they are causing to the Jewish world and Israel's standing internationally.
Rabbi Jacobs says incident demonstrates 'state-backed campaign of ethnic cleansing'
T'ruah CEO Rabbi Jill Jacobs was among those detained. In a statement, she criticized the IDF, stating that "rather than protecting Palestinian farmers and ensuring their right to work their own land, the Israeli military forcibly removed those who came to provide a protective presence."
"This is an outrageous abuse of power, and part of a systematic, state-backed campaign of ethnic cleansing aimed at driving Palestinians from their land," she added.
“The Israeli government is actively advancing the forced displacement of Palestinian communities across the West Bank, using its military to deny Palestinians access to their land and intimidate those who stand alongside them. As rabbis, we have a moral obligation to confront these injustices, especially when they are carried out in our name.”
In a joint statement, the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movement slammed the incident.
“That farmers need to have others serve as a protective presence from violent settlers is itself a betrayal of Jewish values. Yet recent settler attacks on Palestinian harvesters and those working alongside them and authorities’ failure or refusal to stop such attacks have made that protective presence necessary,” the joint statement said.
“Our global memberships span the political and ideological spectrum. Yet we are united in opposing all forms of terrorism across the region and in our conviction that detaining rabbis working for justice undermines Israel’s democratic values,” the groups add.
“We call on the Israeli government to release the detainees immediately, enable the productive harvesting of land, and turn its law enforcement efforts toward the violent settlers who have long been attacking Palestinian farmers and, more recently, journalists and diplomats,” the statement says.
In a joint statement, the Reform Movement in Israel and the Council of Reform Rabbis in Israel called the incident appalling.
"It is inconceivable that, instead of arresting and prosecuting the Jewish extremists who engage in theft and violence, security forces are arresting rabbi activists who are acting in accordance with Jewish values of love for humanity and the pursuit of justice," said Executive Director of the Israel Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism Anna Kislanski.
"This is a moral loss of control that tarnishes not only the State of Israel but also its relationship with Diaspora Jewry. We call for the immediate release of all those detained and for decisive action against those Jewish extremists who are, in fact, breaking the law daily.”
“The fact that Israeli and American rabbis are compelled to stand alongside Palestinian farmers to help them harvest their olives and protect them from settler violence is a damning indictment of the Israeli government. The fact that these same rabbis are detained by security forces, rather than the authorities protecting the farmers and taking action against those perpetrating the violence, is nothing short of a disgrace," said Dr. Yizhar Hess, Vice Chairman of the World Zionist Organization.
"But today’s events are not merely a moral failure; they are also a devastating blow to Israel–Diaspora relations. As a Zionist and as a Jew, I want to remind us all: a Jewish and democratic state is judged not only by its ability to protect its citizens, but also by how it treats those living under its control. We must not accept a reality in which those who act in the name of justice are arrested, while those who resort to violence enjoy de facto impunity. These values are not at odds with Zionism; they are the very values without which Zionism loses its soul," Hess added.