El-Sayed apologizes for comments he made responding to an attack on a Michigan synagogue

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, apologized on Saturday for remarks he made following a synagogue attack in March, which he connected to Israel's actions in the Middle East. El-Sayed acknowledged that his comments might have been misunderstood to justify the attack and sincerely apologized to the state's Jewish Democratic Caucus.

This latest apology comes as part of his ongoing efforts to unite Democrats after a contentious primary election, where he defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. El-Sayed has faced several controversies, including accusations of antisemitism due to his association with controversial commentator Hasan Piker. The synagogue attack in March occurred when a man, Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, attacked Temple Israel in a Detroit suburb, ramming his car into the building and shooting a security guard before taking his own life.

Ghazali's actions were reportedly influenced by his family's loss of four relatives in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon the week prior. El-Sayed condemned the attack and emphasized that "hurt people hurt people," recognizing the impact of Ghazali's family tragedy.