Haley Stevens drew a red line on antisemitism, even if Democrats won't - opinion
Haley Stevens' decision to endorse a Republican over concerns about antisemitism raises questions about Democrats' commitment to Jewish voters.
Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens has shown remarkable courage by putting her principles ahead of her party, even though it cost her politically. Stevens withdrew her support for the Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, after he endorsed an advertisement that invoked an antisemitic trope, suggesting that American support for Israel was the reason ordinary Americans could not afford groceries.
The ad was not only offensive but economically inaccurate, as the United States provided less than five-hundredths of one percent of total federal spending in 2025, and the aid was military assistance, not money that would directly benefit American households.
Stevens insisted that El-Sayed condemn the ad, but he initially claimed it was unrelated to his campaign. However, she pointed out that the advertisement was amplifying a message El-Sayed himself had repeatedly promoted, connecting American economic struggles to financial support for Israel. Stevens argued that a mere disclaimer did not suffice to condemn the ad, especially since similar actions would not have been tolerated if the target had been any other marginalized community.
Further context for Stevens' concerns came from El-Sayed's own campaign, which featured Tucker Carlson, who had publicly criticized Mike Rogers, her Republican opponent. El-Sayed had also made it clear that he opposed not only offensive weapons but also US funding for the defensive Iron Dome missile defense system. El-Sayed connected the terrorist attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, attempting to contextualize the attack through the suffering of the terrorist's family.
While El-Sayed eventually apologized for his mistake, many Jews found his explanation unsatisfactory, as he introduced the broader context before his audience was ready to hear it. Stevens' situation is reminiscent of Democratic Rep. Liz Cheney, who faced significant backlash for standing up to Donald Trump and participating in the January 6 investigation.
Cheney demonstrated that principle can indeed supersede party loyalty, and her willingness to sacrifice her political future for her beliefs was celebrated by many Democrats.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
