Jewish voters have objected to El-Sayed\u2019s reluctance to back a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, among other issues.<\/p>\n
The state\u2019s two Democratic senators, including Jewish moderate Elissa Slotkin, are also calling on their colleagues to help El-Sayed, according to a report in Semafor.<\/p>\n
The other senator is Gary Peters, who is retiring. El-Sayed is running to succeed him.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed candidacy divides Michigan Jewish Democrats<\/p>\n
El-Sayed\u2019s nomination has roiled Jewish Democrats in the state. Some, including Congressional candidate Jeremy Moss, have held off on endorsing him.<\/p>\n
Abdul El-Sayed, candidate for US Senate in Michigan; illustrative (credit: COURTESY\/JTA)<\/p>\n
Others have said that while Jewish misgivings about El-Sayed are well founded, the threat of an unchecked President Donald Trump<\/a> is greater and Jewish voters should put their own worries aside to vote for him,\u00a0 a recommendation Attorney General Dana Nessel made at a recent Jewish gathering.<\/p>\n Michigan is seen as a must-win for Democrats in their hopes of seizing control of the Senate from Republicans and instituting checks on Trump.<\/p>\n Much of the Jewish concern about El-Sayed\u2019s candidacy has to do with his past association with left-wing anti-Israel streamer Hasan Piker. El-Sayed appeared Tuesday night in a scheduled debate on local TV at which his GOP opponent, Mike Rogers, did not show.<\/p>\n Once again El-Sayed denounced Piker\u2019s recent remarks suggesting that pro-Israel advocacy made American Jews targets for violence.<\/p>\n Levin backs El-Sayed despite Israel disagreements<\/p>\n Levin, a member of a powerful political family in the state, served in Congress in a district representing a heavily Jewish suburban Detroit community from 1983 to 2019. His son Andy Levin, who succeeded him in the House and served two terms, has positioned himself to his father\u2019s left on Israel.<\/p>\n The younger Levin has been El-Sayed\u2019s most prominent in-state Jewish backer since the primary. Sander Levin\u2019s brother Carl, who died in 2021, served in the Senate for 36 years.<\/p>\n \u201cI have some significant disagreement with Abdul in his approach to the conflict involving Israel and the Palestinians,\u201d Sander Levin wrote in a statement on X\/Twitter. \u201cI have been a strong proponent of a two-state solution to that crisis, and he has not supported this approach. Yet, as I reflect, I must say that I have had disagreements with many colleagues in the House and Senate over the decades, but I have never failed to support the full Democratic ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n Levin went on to highlight areas on which he and the former county health director agree, including climate policy, labor issues, health care and housing.<\/p>\n \u201cI am confident Dr. Abdul El-Sayed will be a strong advocate for these goals,\u201d he wrote, criticizing what he called the GOP\u2019s \u201cterrible anti-Muslim bigotry\u201d and saying Republicans were \u201clurching towards authoritarianism.\u201d<\/p>\n