Former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat now running for US Senate in Michigan, speaks at a “Hands Off” protest at the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, on April 5, 2025. Photo: Andrew Roth/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

A coalition of rabbis has called on Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to take a stronger stand against political advertisements which they say invoke antisemitic stereotypes, raising fresh questions about the role of anti-Israel rhetoric in the increasingly contentious 2026 US Senate race.

The rabbis, affiliated with the initiative Nonnegotiable Michigan, demanded that El-Sayed withdraw a campaign advertisement featuring conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and explicitly condemn a separate advertisement produced by Rebellion PAC, an outside political group supporting his candidacy.

The dispute centers on two ads that have drawn criticism from Jewish leaders who argue that political messaging about Israel must not normalize rhetoric that threatens Jewish safety or portrays the Jewish state as responsible for America’s domestic problems such as rising costs of living.

El-Sayed’s own campaign released an advertisement featuring remarks from conservative media figures, including Carlson, who has faced criticism over his comments about Jews and Israel. In the spot, Carlson says he would not vote for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, a former congressman.

Rabbi David Ingber, founding rabbi of Romemu synagogue in New York, reportedly condemned the decision to feature Carlson in a press call with reporters, arguing that the campaign should not use the commentator’s remarks to advance its political interests.

The rabbis have called on El-Sayed to remove the advertisement.

A second controversy emerged over an advertisement from Rebellion PAC, founded by political commentator Cenk Uygur. The commercial depicts a couple shopping for groceries who complain about the cost of everyday necessities and suggest that money they need for food is instead being spent on US support for Israel’s military posture toward Palestinians. In the ad, the couple states they have “to set that $7 aside — for killing Palestinians.”

The advertisement then attacks Rogers for prioritizing Israeli interests over those of American voters.

Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, criticized the advertisement, arguing that it unfairly blames Israel for America’s domestic difficulties. US Rep. Daniel Goldman, another prominent Jewish Democrat, also joined the criticism.

Uygur has rejected the accusation of antisemitism, maintaining that the advertisement criticizes the Israeli government and US foreign policy rather than Jewish people. That distinction is central to the broader debate surrounding the commercial.

Uygur, host of the popular “The Young Turks” web show, has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” and praised antisemitic figures such as Carlson and Nick Fuentes.

El-Sayed’s campaign has emphasized that it had no involvement in producing the Rebellion PAC advertisement.

In a statement, spokeswoman Roxie Richner said the commercial was not affiliated with El-Sayed’s campaign and stressed that the candidate and his team speak for themselves. She added that El-Sayed remains focused on addressing rising costs for Michigan residents and opposing President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The statement, however, has not satisfied the rabbis. Rabbi Aaron Starr, president of the Michigan Board of Rabbis and a leader of Nonnegotiable Michigan, said that distancing the campaign from the commercial is not equivalent to explicitly condemning its message.

The dispute comes amid a broader effort by Jewish leaders to press El-Sayed to clarify his positions on Israel and antisemitism. The Nonnegotiable Michigan initiative has urged candidates to affirm commitments to Jewish safety, Jewish self-determination in Israel, a two-state solution, and the full participation of Jewish Americans in political life.

Organizers have also criticized El-Sayed’s past rhetoric about Israel and his comments following an attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township by a man with connections to the Hezbollah terrorist group. In March, El-Sayed infamously downplayed the attack, saying “hurt people hurt people.” He later apologized for remarks that Jewish leaders interpreted as insufficiently sensitive to the concerns of the Jewish community.

More than 250 rabbis from 35 states have signed a letter supporting the Nonnegotiable Michigan initiative, reflecting concern among many Jewish leaders that anti-Israel rhetoric is creating an increasingly difficult environment for Jewish Democrats who identify as Zionists.

El-Sayed, a vocal critic of the Israeli government, has argued that US military assistance to Israel should instead be directed toward domestic priorities, including schools and infrastructure. He has accused the Israeli government of “genocide,” compared them directly to Hamas, and refuses to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. He has stated that a Democrat can only support Israel because of “money.”

His position reflects a broader debate within the Democratic Party over American foreign aid, Israel’s military operations, and the distinction between opposition to Israeli government policies and antisemitism.

El-Sayed’s political ascendance comes amid a growing fracture between the Democratic base and Israel. A variety of polls indicate a supermajority of Democrats believe Israel has committed “genocide” and most want the party to stop sending the country military aid.

Most polls show El-Sayed with a narrow lead over Rogers in the closing days of the race. Although he is still favored to win, most pundits note that the progressive firebrand is running behind most Democrats nationally and is likely being boosted by a highly anti-Trump political environment.

El-Sayed has toned down his optimism as the campaign comes to a close. After winning the primary competition, he immediately predicted he would win the general election by 7 points.

“We’ll see,” El-Sayed told Politico in a new interview after being asked whether he still maintains his prediction.