Brad Lander is a Jewish American politician and progressive Democrat elected to represent New York’s 10th Congressional District on November 3, 2026. A former New York City comptroller and city councilmember, he defeated incumbent Representative Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary before beating Republican Jennifer E. Moore in the general election. His congressional campaign highlighted the tension between his self-identification as a “liberal Zionist” and his increasingly confrontational rhetoric, policy proposals, and activism toward Israel.
Lander grew up in a Reform Jewish family in Creve Coeur, Missouri, outside St. Louis. He served as a social action vice president of the Reform Jewish youth movement and participated in activism supporting Soviet Jewry. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and master’s degrees from University College London and Pratt Institute. After moving to New York, he became involved with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and eventually served as its co-chair.
Before entering elected office, Lander led the Fifth Avenue Committee and Pratt Center for Community Development, working on affordable housing and neighborhood development. He represented Brooklyn’s 39th District on the New York City Council from 2010 through 2021 and served as comptroller from 2022 through 2025. His work focused on housing, labor protections, government oversight, and public investment. During his unsuccessful 2025 mayoral campaign, he cross-endorsed Zohran Mamdani, establishing an alliance that continued into his congressional race.
Lander has continued to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state and has declined to identify with the movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Nevertheless, his congressional campaign adopted language and policies associated with that movement. He accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, pledged to oppose additional U.S. military aid, while telling supporters at a June 2026 rally that he would fight “occupation and apartheid and genocide.”
His alliances further underscored the contrast between his Zionist identification and his political activity. In September 2025, appearing alongside Mamdani at an event organized by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Lander advocated a coalition bringing together liberal Zionists and anti-Zionists. During the congressional campaign, he defended cooperation with activists who oppose Israel’s existence as a Jewish state, provided they respected the humanity of Jews and Palestinians. He also said he had stopped paying dues to the Democratic Socialists of America after its New York chapter participated in a rally following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that was widely condemned for celebrating the assault.
As comptroller, Lander ended the city’s longstanding practice of investing in Israel Bonds. He defended the decision on fiduciary grounds, noting that the city did not hold other countries’ sovereign debt. Although he rejected the BDS label, supporters of that movement welcomed the policy.
On October 21, 2026, Lander was briefly detained by Israeli forces while accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters near Nahalin, south of Bethlehem, in Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank. He joined American Jewish and Israeli volunteers who said they were protecting settler violence. After his release, Lander portrayed the detentions as part of an Israeli policy of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry described his participation as “a calculated political provocation” and accused him of “harvesting headlines.” It alleged that his team had been warned to coordinate the visit with Israeli authorities but had disregarded that guidance. Lander disputed the account, saying his team had communicated with the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The justification for the detentions was also contested: The Times of Israel reported that Civil Administration maps did not designate the harvest site as requiring prior coordination. However, Israeli authorities maintained that authorization was necessary.
During the visit, Lander pledged to support Representative Joaquin Castro’s proposed Stop the Settlements Act, which would impose sanctions on those involved in settlement expansion, including Israeli officials, and prohibit imports of goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza. Israel subsequently revoked his electronic travel authorization, along with those of several participating American rabbis and activists.
Lander maintains that his activism is consistent with his Zionism, arguing that accountability and changes in Israeli policy are necessary to realize his vision of a Jewish and democratic state. His election nevertheless brought to Congress a politician whose stated commitment to that vision coexists with genocide accusations, support for sanctions, opposition to further military assistance, and close cooperation with anti-Zionist political allies. In his election-night speech, he pledged to become Congress’s strongest Jewish advocate for Palestinian freedom while opposing anti-Semitism and protecting Jewish communities.
Sources: Jacob Kornbluh, “A lifelong Jewish activist, new NYC comptroller vows to lead on progressive issues,” Forward, (January 25, 2022).
“Brad Lander,” Brooklyn Law School.
“Office History,” Office of the New York City Comptroller.
“Meet Brad,” Brad Lander for Congress.
Joseph Strauss, “Brad Lander calls for ‘coalition of anti-Zionists and liberal Zionists’ in appearance with Zohran Mamdani,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, (September 11, 2025).
Jacob Kornbluh, “Can a liberal Zionist win with the pro-Palestinian movement? Brad Lander is trying,” Forward, (June 15, 2026).
Jacob Magid, “Israel accuses Lander of ‘harvesting headlines’ after his detention while accompanying West Bank olive harvest,” Times of Israel, (October 21, 2026).
Jacob Magid, Noam Lehmann, “Jewish NY congressional candidate briefly detained while joining Palestinian olive harvest,” Times of Israel, (October 21, 2026).
Will Bredderman and Marc Rod, “Lander endorses settlement sanctions bill while on West Bank trip,” Jewish Insider, (October 21, 2026).
Andrew Lapin, “Israel revokes travel permissions for Brad Lander, American rabbis,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, (October 27, 2026).
Fiona André, “Is Brad Lander, a pro-Palestinian liberal Zionist heading to Congress, the future of Jewish Democrats?” Religion News Service, (November 4, 2026).
Photo: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.