Direct Threat to the Jewish Community: Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Win Sparks Alarm in the US

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) issued a sharp statement following Abdul El-Sayed's victory in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, calling him a "direct threat to the Jewish community." President Trump responded in his cynical style, calling El-Sayed a "communist loser who hates Jews and Israel." El-Sayed, backed by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, has called for an end to military aid to Israel and described the war in Gaza as "genocide." In Missouri, Wesley Bell defeated Cori Bush, a win for the pro-Israel camp.

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) issued a sharp statement following Abdul El-Sayed's victory in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, announced today (Wednesday). The organization wrote that El-Sayed is a "direct threat to the Jewish community in Michigan," noting that he previously called the Israeli government "as evil as Hamas," "struggled" to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and called for an end to US security aid to Israel. They also claimed that after an attack on a Jewish institution in the Detroit suburbs, El-Sayed chose to redirect attention to Israeli policy rather than condemn the attacker. President Trump responded in his cynical style, calling El-Sayed a "communist loser who hates Jews and Israel," adding that "the Democrats' crazy policies will only become more extreme." El-Sayed, a former senior official in Michigan's health system, is backed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and presents himself as a progressive candidate. He has described the war in Gaza as "genocide" and made the issue of relations with Israel central to the race. AIPAC and its allies invested nearly $30 million to support his rival, Congresswoman Haley Stevens. In Missouri, Congressman Wesley Bell defeated former Congresswoman Cori Bush, who was considered a sharp critic of Israel, seen as a win for the pro-Israel camp.