Democratic Senate candidate: "It's time we understand, Israel is not our friend"

Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive candidate in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, made harsh statements against Israel, calling for an end to defining it as a close friend of the United States, using an analogy about an exploitative friend. Former Vice President Kamala Harris attended rallies alongside him last month.

Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive candidate in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, made harsh statements against Israel, calling for an end to defining it as a close friend of the United States. El-Sayed used an analogy: "If your child has a friend who constantly exploits their money, talks behind their back, and drags them into conflicts with other friends—what would you tell your child? You'd probably say, 'Maybe he's not really your friend after all.'" According to him, "An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn't be fighting—then it's not an ally." Former Vice President Kamala Harris visited Michigan last month to attend campaign rallies alongside El-Sayed. A spokesperson for Harris said she looks forward to helping energize voters in this critical state. El-Sayed has maintained a tough line against Israel throughout his campaign: he described the war in Gaza as "genocide," called for halting military aid to Israel, and attacked the AIPAC lobby, which invested about $30 million against him.