Michigan Jewish leaders call on El-Sayed to change posture on Israel
A coalition of Michigan Jewish leaders launched a petition calling on Abdul El-Sayed and other political candidates to make baseline commitments on Jewish safety and Israel, or risk losing their support.
September 8, 2026 / 6:44 PM EDT / CBS News
"It is about Dr. El-Sayed, and it's also about a bigger issue going on in our politics right now. I think the American Jewish community is feeling squeezed from both sides of the political spectrum," Rabbi Josh Whinston, one of more than a dozen rabbis leading the petition, said in an interview with CBS News.
El-Sayed, a former Michigan health official, won the Democratic nomination last month , after a heated primary that centered in part on his outspoken criticism of the Israeli government and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. El-Sayed has previously said that criticism of both does not mean criticism of Jewish people, telling NBC News last month, "I love and revere Judaism and the Jewish people. I believe they are a light unto the world … but they are not the same as AIPAC and Israel."
Now, the focus has turned to El-Sayed's matchup in November against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 race for Michigan's other Senate seat. But as Rogers, who ran unopposed this cycle, has been focused for months on the general election, El-Sayed is still working to unite Democrats behind his candidacy.
El-Sayed ran on a left-wing platform, with endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while his opponent in the primary — Rep. Haley Stevens — had the backing of more moderate Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. El-Sayed hammered Stevens for receiving an influx of funding from pro-Israel groups, including over $30 million in outside spending from a group funded by AIPAC.