On Saturday, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El‑Sayed apologized to a gathering of Jewish Democrats for remarks he made in March concerning a synagogue attack near Detroit, noting that “no one should have their suffering dismissed.”
El‑Sayed, seeking to win over Jewish Democrats who remain doubtful of his candidacy, acknowledged that he should not have used the phrase “hurt people hurt people” in a video statement released shortly after a man rammed his truck into the synagogue, wounding a security guard. Authorities described the assault on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, as a deliberate attack on Jews.
“I made a mistake,” El‑Sayed said while answering a question at the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus during the Lansing party convention. “I ought to have simply condemned the attack and left it at that.”
El‑Sayed explained that he had attempted to provide broader context but inadvertently undermined the dignity owed to the victims’ fear and pain. He added, “If my words caused hurt, I am sorry; that was never my intention.”
Authorities identified the attacker as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, who had lost relatives in an Israeli strike in March. In his first statement, El‑Sayed declared that there is never justification for harming innocents, yet he acknowledged that violence often begets more violence and that “hurt people hurt people.”
On Saturday, El‑Sayed conceded that trying to contextualize the attack so soon after it occurred was inappropriate.
The apology arrived amid growing pressure on El‑Sayed regarding his association with Hasan Piker, a provocative streamer known for incendiary remarks about Israel. El‑Sayed had campaigned alongside Piker during the Democratic primary but recently stated he does not plan to continue that partnership heading into the November general election.
El‑Sayed’s Senate bid against Republican former Representative Mike Rogers is regarded as one of a handful of races that could decide Senate control, with polls indicating a tightly contested race.
After El‑Sayed’s narrow victory in the early‑August Democratic primary, numerous Jewish Democrats hesitated to endorse him, pointing to his criticism of Israel — he has labeled the government “evil” and frequently denounced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee during the primary — as well as his ties to Piker.
Piker has repeatedly resurfaced in intra‑party Democratic discussions over the past weeks, most recently when he delivered what sounded like an ominous warning to Jewish Americans on an episode of his show a week earlier.
El‑Sayed, a vocal critic of the Israeli government, prevailed over pro‑Israel Democrat Representative Haley Stevens to capture the party nomination. Michigan’s Democratic Party, home to sizable Jewish and Muslim communities, has been divided over Israel, a division that figured prominently in the Senate primary.
The convention at which El‑Sayed offered his apology was itself tense. State Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, said she did not feel secure at the gathering after party activists booed Stevens at a separate convention earlier in the spring.
Prior to the convention, many Jewish Democrats continued to voice worries about El‑Sayed’s relationship with Piker.
State Representative Noah Arbit, a Democrat from the Detroit suburbs who established the state party’s Jewish caucus, wrote in a Friday text that El‑Sayed ought to “sever ties” entirely with Piker, calling the streamer “an illustration of the candidate’s tolerance of extremist, authoritarian politics within his coalition.”
Jessica Alexander, chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, told interviewers at the Saturday convention that she is actively involved with the El‑Sayed campaign. She noted that the campaign acknowledges there is work to be done with the Jewish community, said she remains troubled by Piker but has no reservations about El‑Sayed as a candidate.
On his show a week earlier, Piker remarked, “If Jews in America keep insisting they are solely invested in Israel, eventually someone will act — not against the State of Israel itself, but against American Jews.”
The remark preceded Piker’s criticism of Jeremy Moss, the Democratic House nominee from Michigan, for refusing to endorse El‑Sayed after the primary.
Moss, who is Jewish and has expressed concern about El‑Sayed’s stance on Israel, told convention interviewers that the apology for the March comment felt “genuine,” “credible,” and “appreciated” by the caucus.
“We have had many meaningful and thoughtful conversations since the primary,” Moss said. “This issue was raised.”
In a public statement addressing Piker’s comments, El‑Sayed asserted that “only I and my campaign spokespersons speak for this campaign” and added that “all Americans should be able to advocate for their beliefs without fear of violence.”
“This is especially true for communities that have previously faced intimidation because of their beliefs,” El‑Sayed said. “My dedication to Jewish safety equals my commitment to protecting my own daughters.”
A series of Democratic rebukes of Piker followed his comment. California Representative Brad Sherman said on social media that Piker had attempted to “encourage and justify violence against American Jews.” New Jersey Senator Cory Booker wrote online that Piker had “repeatedly and unmistakably” crossed the boundary between robust debate and rhetoric that fuels hatred toward neighbors.
Neither Sherman nor Booker directed criticism at El‑Sayed, but both stressed that they do not think Piker deserves a platform. El‑Sayed sought to move beyond the controversy, stating he is concentrating on Michigan, not on Piker, who resides in Southern California.
This week El‑Sayed campaigned alongside Jewish Maryland Democrat Representative Jamie Raskin and Michigan Democrat Representative Debbie Dingell. Raskin minimized the party’s internal divisions, while Dingell said she does not “agree with Hasan Piker on many issues” but urged Democrats to shift their focus away from him.
“Please don’t ask me again about Hasan Piker; November isn’t about him,” Dingell declared, bringing up Piker unprompted in a speech. She added that Republicans are “trying to divide us.”
