Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official running for the Democratic US Senate nomination in Michigan, addressed roughly 1,360 voters at Mumford High School in Detroit on Sunday evening, where he directly challenged what he characterized as the pro-Israel lobby's conflation of antisemitism with opposition to Israeli military actions. "The single most dangerous thing that they've tried to tell us is somehow they can extend the definition of antisemitism to include a foreign government and its leaders," El-Sayed said of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, receiving sustained applause from the crowd.
El-Sayed drew a sharp distinction between Judaism and Israel as a state, declaring that "AIPAC and Israel are not the same as Judaism and the Jewish people." He accused political leaders and lobbying groups of creating dangerous circumstances by equating religious respect with support for Israeli government actions in Gaza, which he referenced as genocidal violence. "We love Judaism and the Jewish people because we love people, and we love Palestinians and their rights because we love people," he stated.
The positive reception reflected a broader shift in American public opinion. A Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies survey from March found that just 32% of registered US voters viewed Israel positively following military operations in Gaza since October 2023, down from nearly half three years earlier. A Pew Research poll last month showed 60% of respondents held negative views of Israel, which receives roughly $4 billion in annual US military aid. An October survey by Upswing Strategies found that nearly half of Democratic voters in swing states including Michigan said they "could never support" a congressional candidate who accepted AIPAC funding.
El-Sayed has maintained a position condemning both antisemitism and Israeli military operations. After a shooting at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan in March, he stated that Jewish people have the right to worship in peace and that "there is no room for antisemitism in America." He also noted the suspect had lost family members in Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
The Detroit event doubled as a stop on US Senator Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy tour. Sanders highlighted recent progressive electoral victories, citing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who began his campaign at 1% support before winning despite establishment opposition. "When you have 100,000 people knocking on doors, whether it's New York, or Michigan for Abdul, there ain't nobody gonna beat you," Sanders told voters.
El-Sayed faces a competitive three-way primary race against US Representative Haley Stevens and state Senator Mallory McMorrow, with the August 4 primary approaching. A Detroit Regional Chamber survey showed Stevens at 24.9% support and El-Sayed at 22.9%, with 36% undecided. Stevens has received more than $5 million from pro-Israel groups, while McMorrow authored a position paper for AIPAC.
