Over 200 US rabbis demand US Senate candidate El-Sayed make Jewish safety commitments

More than 220 liberal and progressive rabbis from 34 states signed an open letter to Democratic US Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, endorsing the campaign demands of Nonnegotiable Michigan. The rabbis allege a disconnect between El-Sayed's public assurances on Jewish safety and rhetoric they argue undermines it, citing past statements about Israel. The letter was released ahead of a Detroit rally where former President Barack Obama campaigned with El-Sayed.

More than 220 liberal and progressive rabbis from 34 states signed an open letter to Democratic US Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, endorsing the campaign demands of Nonnegotiable Michigan, an initiative launched in September by rabbis, cantors, and lay leaders representing congregations serving an estimated 40,000 Jewish Michiganders. The signatories allege a disconnect between El-Sayed's public assurances regarding Jewish safety and rhetoric they argue undermines it. The letter was released on Friday ahead of a Saturday Get Out the Vote rally at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, where former US president Barack Obama made his first public campaign appearance alongside El-Sayed. The rabbis called on El-Sayed to align his campaign with Obama's legacy of Jewish inclusion within the Democratic Party and requested that Obama reaffirm that Zionist Jews remain full members of the political coalition. Specific concerns cited past instances where the rabbis allege El-Sayed called Israelis "bloodthirsty," characterized American support for Israel as "legalized bribery" and "purchased loyalty," described a Jewish state as inherently illiberal, and told a national audience that Israel uses American funds to push the US into foreign wars. The letter urged El-Sayed to adopt five core commitments publicly: affirming Jewish safety is nonnegotiable; supporting Jewish statehood and self-determination in Israel; asserting that Jews alone define Jewish identity; ensuring Zionist Jews are welcomed in the Democratic Party; and pursuing Palestinian aspirations alongside Israel rather than in place of it. Neither El-Sayed nor Obama responded to the Post's email requests for comment by publication time.