Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed called a fundraising email that went out on the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel a mistake in a statement provided first to POLITICO.
“That email mistakenly went out yesterday. Abdul has been clear and consistent: he holds equally valuable the lives of all innocent people and condemns violence against them,” said spokesperson Roxie Richner.
The fundraising email from El-Sayed’s campaign started by marking that “Two years ago this month, Netanyahu’s military launched a ground invasion of Gaza. Since then, the world has watched tragedy unfold in real time.”
It drew condemnation from many on the right and some Democrats, who criticized it for omitting any mention of Hamas’ attack on Israel at the outset of the war. El-Sayed put out a separate statement on the two-year anniversary of the conflict Tuesday condemning Hamas’ “heinous attack on Oct. 7” and also condemning Israel’s “horrific genocide on Gaza.”
The Israel-Hamas war could become a major flashpoint in the Michigan Senate race, with Democrats believing the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee could intervene in the contest. The group’s political arm has previously backed Rep. Haley Stevens, who’s also vying for the Senate nomination, during her time in Congress.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, the third major candidate in the race, recently staked out a new stance on the conflict and said she believed Israel’s war in Gaza was a genocide.
El-Sayed had been a backer of Michigan’s “uncommitted” movement during the 2024 election, though he’d said he would still support Democrats over Donald Trump. He ultimately endorsed Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
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