Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Photo: USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned in a new interview that growing anti-Israel rhetoric among fellow Democrats risked rationalizing violence against Jews and suggested she would leave the Democratic Party if support for Israel became a litmus test.

Nessel, who is Jewish and one of Michigan’s most prominent Democratic state officials, said she remained deeply troubled by comments from Abdul El-Sayed, the state’s Democratic nominee for US Senate, following an attempted attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, earlier this year.

“A lot of us perceived that as sort of making excuses for somebody who sought to murder over 100 pre-K school children, and that’s the kind of mentality that bothers me a lot,” Nessel told The Atlantic‘s David Frum. “You can’t make excuses for that kind of domestic terrorism.”

The attack, which authorities say was orchestrated by a man with ties to the Hezbollah terrorist group, targeted a synagogue in Nessel’s hometown and was aimed at a Jewish community gathered at a religious institution. In the aftermath, El-Sayed initially condemned the violence. But in a subsequent discussion, he linked the attack to the broader conflict involving Israel and Lebanon, saying, “Hurt people hurt people.”

According to reports, El-Sayed also stated that condemning the attack presented a “risk” to his campaign because many people in the heavily Arab city of Dearborn, Michigan support Hezbollah.

“I don’t think we should ever be making those kinds of excuses and in a way propping up people who seek to commit these crimes,” Nessel said, warning that such rhetoric could potentially encourage others to commit similar acts.

Nessel said she has discussed the remarks directly with El-Sayed and remains hopeful that he will reconsider them. But she said his refusal to retract the comments has left her concerned about his understanding of Jewish history, antisemitism, and Israel.

“I think privately he will say that he regrets having made those remarks,” she told Frum. “But here we are: It’s almost the end of August, and he still has not withdrawn those statements and said, ‘I misspoke,’ or ‘I now recognize the harm that I caused by making those statements.'”

Nessel’s comments come as El-Sayed, a far-left progressive and outspoken critic of Israel, attempts to unite Michigan Democrats ahead of the November general election. His victory in the Democratic primary over more moderate, pro-Israel candidate Haley Stevens has already exposed significant divisions within the party over Israel and the treatment of Jewish voters.

El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health official, has accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, called it a “rogue state,” and argued that its government and the Hamas terrorist organization are both “evil.”

He has also questioned US support for maintaining Israel as a specifically Jewish state, stating that there is no interpretation of a Jewish state that can be compatible with liberal values. He further sparked anger by asserting that the only reason a Democrat could support Israel is because of money, and that it is impossible for a Democrat to support Israel and believe in “human rights.”

El-Sayed’s relentless broadside attacks against the character and legitimacy of Israel have incensed large segments of the Michigan Jewish community, raising questions over whether the reliably Democratic voting base will cast a ballot for El-Sayed in November.

During her interview, Nessel also expressed concern over what she described as a growing willingness to equivocate between the morality of the US and its adversaries. In recent months, ascendant left-wing candidates, including El-Sayed, have suggested that American conduct in the Middle East can be partially to blame for terrorism and violence inflicted upon Americans.

“I think by the same logic,” she stated, “if Iran were to attack, whether it would be a government building or a church or a mall or what have you, that we would just deserve those attacks, because, of course, we are engaged in this war in Iran, and really the list goes on and on as to how you could make excuses for acts of domestic terrorism.”

For Jewish Democrats in Michigan, El-Sayed’s candidacy has created an uncomfortable political dilemma. Three prominent Jewish Democratic bundlers — Hannan Lis, Brian Hermelin, and Rob Orley — are planning to fundraise on behalf of Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, according to reporting by Jewish Insider. Though they admitted they do not agree with Rogers on a variety of issues, El-Sayed’s animus toward Israel and approach to the Jewish community have left them alienated.

Nessel claimed many Jewish voters remain committed to defeating Republicans and winning Democratic control of the US Senate. But she questioned whether Jewish Democrats can comfortably support a candidate whose rhetoric about Israel and terrorism has caused such concern.

“We absolutely don’t want Mike Rogers to win. We absolutely want a Democratic majority in the Senate,” Nessel said. “But is Abdul going to spend six years railing against Israel irrespective of who the government is there? That is a real concern.”

Nessel argued that the issue goes beyond disagreements over Israeli government policy. In her view, rhetoric that connects violence against American Jews to Israel’s actions risks blurring the distinction between the Israeli government and Jewish communities in the United States. That distinction is particularly significant following the Temple Israel attack, when the target was not an Israeli military installation or government facility but an American synagogue and Jewish civilians.

Nessel reiterated that she has “hope” that El-Sayed will walk back his flippant comments regarding the synagogue attack. “He still hasn’t done it, but I hope that we’ll hear more from him about this soon.”

Nessel has also said that antisemitism has become a problem on both the political left and right, noting that she herself has received antisemitic death threats. She recently announced that she would not attend Michigan’s Democratic nominating convention because of concerns about antisemitism within the party.

El-Sayed’s association with controversial online commentator Hasan Piker has added another layer to the controversy. Piker has faced widespread criticism over statements concerning Israel, Jews, and American foreign policy. Democratic leaders have also condemned some of Piker’s rhetoric as antisemitic.

El-Sayed has condemned antisemitism and attempted to distance himself from some of Piker’s statements. Nevertheless, critics argue that his continued engagement with figures and movements hostile to Israel raises questions about how seriously his campaign views the security concerns of American Jews.

The dispute comes at a particularly consequential moment. El-Sayed will face Rogers in November in a race that could help determine control of the U. Senate. Polls show El-Sayed with a very narrow lead over Rogers, suggesting a significant underperformance during a midterm election cycle expected to heavily advantage Democrats.

Jewish voters, a traditionally Democratic-leaning demographic, are faced with whether to consider crossing party lines or to support a candidate whose domestic economic agenda may align with their political priorities while harboring serious concerns about his approach to Israel and antisemitism.

Last week, a group of Michigan Jewish leaders circulated an open letter urging the state’s Jewish population to support Rogers over El-Sayed in the general election.

“If El-Sayed were to win the general election in this important swing state, we fear the far-left and anti-Jewish elements in the Democratic party would become dominant, including in the imminent 2028 presidential race. We cannot allow him to become the Democratic standard-bearer or Michigan’s senator,” the letter read.

Nessel herself said she does not intend to vote for Rogers, underscoring how complicated the choice has become for Jewish Democrats who remain firmly committed to the Democratic Party.

“We absolutely want a Democratic majority in the Senate,” she said.

However, Nessel also issued a warning that she might consider leaving the Democratic Party if staying with the party forces her to compromise critical components of her identity.