Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is attempting to repair his fractured relationship with Jewish voters by hiring a dedicated ‘Jewish liaison,’ a move his campaign confirmed amid a storm of criticism over his past statements about Israel. The announcement comes after two public apologies from the progressive candidate for remarks he made in the wake of an attempted terrorist attack on a West Bloomfield Township synagogue preschool in March.
Speaking Sunday at the Michigan Democratic Party Jewish Caucus’s ‘Summer Simcha’ fundraiser, El-Sayed expressed regret for offering what he called ‘context’ for the attack by noting the assailant’s family had been affected by Middle East conflict, saying ‘hurt people hurt people.’ He claimed he would ‘take it all the way back’ if he could, insisting he never intended to defend terrorism.
According to a person familiar with the campaign who spoke to JTA, El-Sayed’s team is interviewing candidates for the liaison post and consulting with Jewish community leaders. But for many voters, the outreach appears to be more about political survival than genuine transformation.
Community Skepticism
The pivot comes as El-Sayed faces serious resistance from Michigan’s Jewish community, a historically reliable Democratic constituency that could play a decisive role in his general election matchup against Republican Mike Rogers. At Sunday’s event, El-Sayed leaned on phrases like ‘tikkun olam’ to signal solidarity, but attendees were not convinced.
One mother reportedly asked whether El-Sayed would support funding Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system to protect children like her own, who were soon flying to Israel. He declined, a stance he has held previously. ‘He doesn’t care about the safety of my children,’ she said afterward.
The candidate’s public record sharpens the contradiction. On national television, El-Sayed has labeled Israel an ‘illegal apartheid regime,’ called its government ‘bloodthirsty,’ and demanded a complete freeze on U.S. aid to the Jewish state.
Ally Exposes ‘Charade’
El-Sayed’s own associate, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, undercut the messaging. Piker, who has been a vocal supporter, told his followers that El-Sayed is not moderating his position on Israel despite appearances. ‘There are going to be a lot of people who are already questioning Abdul El-Sayed’s sincerity on these issues that will then turn around and say, Oh, he’s moderating his position on Israel,’ Piker said. ‘I don’t think he is. I am literally the person that is being dangled. And I’m going to tell you once again, he’s not moderating.’
Rogers, the Republican opponent, seized on the developments. He called El-Sayed’s apology campaign the ‘epitome of what a conman does,’ framing the liaison hire as a transparent attempt to win back votes without changing substance.
The controversy underscores the tightrope El-Sayed walks in a state where Jewish voters are a small but pivotal bloc, and where suburban Detroit districts could determine the outcome of a race expected to be close. For now, his campaign’s solution is a staff position—but the skepticism from both allies and adversaries suggests that hiring a liaison may not be enough to bridge the gap.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-to-hire-token-jew-as-campaign-spirals