Michigan Jewish voters form coalition to support Mike Rogers against Abdul El-Sayed

Following his victory in the Michigan primary, Abdul El-Sayed has faced scrutiny regarding his relationship with the Jewish community and his stance on Israel. El-Sayed has attempted to distinguish Judaism from the state of Israel, stating, “AIPAC and Israel are not the same as Judaism and the Jewish people.” However, critics have pointed to his past refusal to state whether Israel should exist and his response to an attack on a Michigan synagogue, where he remarked that “hurt people hurt people.”

In response to El-Sayed’s rhetoric, a coalition of Jewish voters and donors in Michigan is reportedly shifting support toward Republican candidate Mike Rogers. This movement includes prominent Jewish Democratic bundlers who are organizing fundraisers for Rogers, signaling a bipartisan effort to oppose El-Sayed. Critics suggest this shift reflects growing dissatisfaction within the Democratic Party's traditional voting blocs regarding the handling of antisemitism.