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Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Says Israel Is Not a U.S. Ally
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El-Sayed’s Claim That Israel Is Not a U.S. Ally
During an interview on ABC News’s “All Access,” Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed told host Linsey Davis that Israel should no longer be considered an American ally. El-Sayed added that the United States should stop subsidizing Israel and urged a reassessment of the bilateral relationship.
Campaign Context
El-Sayed has made Israel a focal point of his 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan. In a recent debate with Republican opponent Mike Rogers, he declined to rank Israel against Iran as a greater threat, describing the comparison as “ridiculous.” The stance comes as Israel prepares for a national election on Oct. 27, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks re-election.
Official Statements & Responses
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told an Israeli reporter that his government would continue to “engage with the American arena” and seek “alternative alliances” with countries in the region, India, and Latin America.
Criticism
Political activist Amy Siskind criticized El-Sayed’s position, noting that it diverges from the stance of most Senate Democrats and questioning whether the approach is a strategic move to win a “razor-tight” race without broad Jewish or Black voter support.
Verbatim Quotes
- “So you don’t consider Israel to be an American ally?” — News’s Linsey Davis
- “If your kid has a friend who keeps bumming off their money and then talks about them behind their back and then gets them into fights with other friends, what would you tell your kid to do with that friend? You probably tell them maybe it’s not actually a friend,” — Abdul El-Sayed