Full Breakdown
Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Ads Spark Antisemitism Concerns in Michigan Senate Race
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event: Controversial Ads Link Israel to Michigan Cost-of-Living Issues
In late October 2026, two advertisements associated with Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed drew criticism for invoking antisemitic tropes. One ad featured former Fox News host Tucker Carlson saying he would not vote for Republican opponent Mike Rogers “at gunpoint.” The other, produced by the Rebellion PAC—a super-PAC founded by Cenk Uygur—showed a grocery-store couple arguing that $7 must be set aside “for killing Palestinians,” and claimed U.S. aid to Israel drives up the price of eggs and bananas. The Rebellion ad was posted online on October 24, 2026 and was not broadcast on Michigan television.
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Background & Context
El-Sayed has long criticized U.S. military assistance to Israel, arguing the funds should instead support Michigan schools and infrastructure. He has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal” and called for an end to American aid, positions that have drawn accusations his rhetoric blurs criticism of policy with hostility toward Jews.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
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Data & Statistics
- The Brown University Costs of War Project estimates U.S. military aid to Israel totaled $21 billion between October 2023 and October 2025.
- The Rebellion PAC ad claims the United States gives Israel $4 billion annually, adds a further $26 billion, and frames the cost as $161 per person.
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Official Statements & Responses
- The campaign has not issued an explicit condemnation of the ad’s content.
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Criticism & Opposition
- Rabbi David Ingber, founding rabbi of Romemu, called the Tucker Carlson clip “absolutely appalling.”
- Rabbi Aaron Starr, president of the Michigan Board of Rabbis, described the Rebellion PAC ad as “blatantly antisemitic.”
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin called the ad “a divisive stunt that trades on age-old themes of antisemitism.”
- Rep. Daniel Goldman urged El-Sayed to condemn the ad as “outrageously antisemitic.”
- Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, asked, “You want to know what desperate looks like?” in response to the claim that Israel drives grocery prices.
- Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) labeled the ad “fearmongering about Israel.”
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Why It Matters / Impact
The controversy highlights a fissure within the Democratic Party over Israel policy. Jewish leaders fear the ad normalizes a narrative that holds Israel responsible for unrelated American economic hardships, potentially alienating Jewish voters in a swing state. At the same time, El-Sayed’s appeal to Arab-American voters relies on the same criticism, creating a strategic dilemma for the campaign.
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Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The El-Sayed campaign disavows any formal connection to the Rebellion PAC spot but stops short of labeling the content antisemitic.
- Uygur insists the ad is not antisemitic, while multiple elected officials and rabbinic leaders assert the opposite. No public statement from El-Sayed directly addresses the accusations.
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Verbatim Quotes
- “The El-Sayed campaign's decision to feature Tucker Carlson is absolutely appalling,” — Rabbi David Ingber
- “This is a divisive stunt that trades on age-old themes of antisemitism.” — Sen. Elissa Slotkin
- “If @AbdulElSayed truly means what he says about treating the Jewish community as he would treat his own children, then he would immediately condemn this dangerous ad as outrageously antisemitic and demand that it be taken down,” — Rep. Daniel Goldman
- “You want to know what desperate looks like?” — Jonathan Greenblatt
- “This type of fearmongering about Israel is wrong,” — Rep. Haley Stevens
These reactions underscore the tension between a candidate’s policy positions and the messaging tactics employed by external supporters, a dynamic that could shape the outcome of Michigan’s closely watched Senate contest.