Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat running to replace retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters (D.), marked the second anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack with a fundraising email that made no mention of Hamas’s atrocities and instead blamed Israel for the war in Gaza.
"Two years ago this month, Netanyahu's military launched a ground invasion of Gaza," El-Sayed’s email began, according to Politico reporter Nicholas Wu. The Democrat made no reference to Hamas’s massacre of 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping of hundreds more that triggered Israel’s offensive. Instead, El-Sayed condemned Israel’s response as "unconscionable" and "wrong," while accusing the United States of funding a "senseless war."
"So, how do we show moral clarity and change the course? By winning races like this one," El-Sayed added, referring to his own Senate bid. El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), is facing a competitive Democratic primary against moderate state senator Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens, who is pro-Israel.
El-Sayed’s fundraising email quickly prompted backlash on social media.
"Wait, he sent this on OCTOBER 7, with 0 mention of the attacks? Boy, talk about disqualifying," editor Brian Rosenwald posted on X. A second user wrote that it is "truly disgraceful of Abdul El-Sayed to fundraise off of 10/7 without even acknowledging the harm done to Jews that day," while another called El-Sayed’s email "unbelievably tone deaf."
Following the backlash, El-Sayed’s team walked back the email. "That email mistakenly went out yesterday," spokeswoman Roxie Richner said, according to Wu. "Abdul has been clear and consistent: he holds equally valuable the lives of all innocent people and condemns violence against them."
This is not the first time that El-Sayed, a former CNN commentator who ran unsuccessfully for Michigan governor in 2018, has faced scrutiny over his anti-Israel stance.
In May, the Senate hopeful appeared at a major Islamist convention with anti-Israel speakers who have called for the destruction of Israel, praised Hamas leaders, and expressed "euphoria" over Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. Last month, El-Sayed also spoke at an anti-Israel convention in Michigan alongside Hamas sympathizers and anti-Semites.
