Full Breakdown
Michigan AG Dana Nessel Warns Democratic Senate Nominee Abdul El-Sayed Is Excusing Domestic Terrorism
8/28/2026, 2:37:24 AM
Synagogue Attack and Political Fallout
In March, a gunman with ties to Hezbollah crashed into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, attempting to kill congregants, including pre-K schoolchildren. Federal investigators called the act a domestic terrorist attack. Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed linked the assault to the Israel-Lebanon conflict and said “hurt people hurt people,” a comment Nessel says rationalizes the violence.
Background: Antisemitism Concerns in Michigan Politics
Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan’s first Jewish AG, has highlighted rising antisemitic rhetoric within the state Democratic Party. She previously condemned Islamophobia after the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre by visiting a Dearborn mosque. The recent synagogue attack has intensified her concerns that some Democratic leaders blur criticism of Israeli policy with hostility toward American Jews.
Official Statements & Responses
- Nessel urged El-Sayed to retract his remarks, saying his failure to do so suggests he “stands by them.”
- Jewish bundlers Hannan Lis, Brian Hermelin and Rob Orley announced plans to raise funds for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, citing El-Sayed’s stance on Israel as decisive.
- An open letter from Michigan Jewish leaders urged the state’s Jewish electorate to support Rogers over El-Sayed in November.
Criticism from Jewish Leaders
Jewish community figures argue that El-Sayed’s comments risk normalizing violence against Jews and that his association with online commentator Hasan Piker further alienates Jewish voters. The leaders’ letter stresses that El-Sayed’s “relentless broadside attacks” on Israel could empower “far-left and anti-Jewish elements” within the Democratic Party.
Data & Statistics
- The attacker targeted a congregation that included more than 100 pre-K schoolchildren.
- Federal investigators identified the shooter’s motivation as stemming from personal ties to Hezbollah.
- Polls show El-Sayed holding a narrow lead over Rogers in the swing-state Senate race.
Verbatim Quote
> “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,” — Attorney General Dana Nessel
What’s Next
The November Senate race will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Nessel has said she will not attend the Democratic nominating convention due to harassment concerns and warned she might leave the Democratic Party if its platform forces her to compromise her Jewish identity. She continues to press El-Sayed for a public retraction of his “hurt people hurt people” remark before the election.
