Michigan Democrat El-Sayed challenged by 250 rabbis on Israel in nationwide push by liberal Jews

Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faced pressure from 250 rabbis from across the country, representing the group Nonnegotiable Michigan, ahead of a rally with former President Barack Obama in Detroit on October 24. The rabbis demanded El-Sayed commit to supporting "Jewish statehood in Israel" and "Zionist Jews" safety, which he did not address during the event.

Now, the movement may have missed its chance to influence the campaign, as El-Sayed is likely to forgo the position on Israel before his campaign ends. This effort was overshadowed by Rep. Haley Stevens' endorsement of El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.

This rabbinical push into US politics is part of a larger trend of liberal Jews asserting their principles amid shifting fault lines in the Democratic Party. The organizers of Nonnegotiable aim to create a national platform for liberal Zionist Jews to assert their priorities in politics, stating that their goal is to "name the priorities that were most core to mainstream American Jews."

With Israel expected to remain a contentious issue in the 2028 presidential race, the rabbis believe it is urgent for Jews to assert their priorities.

Currently, the movement has gathered 1,900 signatures from mostly anonymous Michigan Jews, surpassing the combined totals of named Michigan Jews who have signed open letters pledging to vote for El-Sayed and Rogers. Nationally, 4,560 people have signed the petition, including rabbis from 34 different states and Washington, DC. These rabbis signified their support to address "anti-Zionist hatred" they see coming from different political sides and candidates.

El-Sayed's rhetoric on Israel has caused concern among some rabbis, such as Rabbi Samuel Stern, who pointed out that Trump's use of the term "Shylock" in a recent rally was not as prevalent in their Kansas community as El-Sayed's anti-Zionism rhetoric. Nonnegotiable has also expanded to college campuses, with Jewish students at the University of Michigan adding their names to the letter.

Some rabbis supportive of El-Sayed argue that the movement's messaging is ineffective and could bolster Republican policies most Jews oppose, while ignoring ways in which the candidate has sought to improve relations with Jews.