Michigan Senate Candidate Distances Himself From Anti-Israel Ad Linking US Food Prices to Aid
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed disavowed a viral video linking U.S. food prices to aid for Israel. The advertisement, which garnered over six million views, also targeted Republican candidate Mike Rogers. The video's creator, Cenk Uygur, defended it, while others, including co-founder the co-founder of the group that produced the video, condemned it as antisemitic. El-Sayed, a critic of Israel's Gaza campaign, sought to distance himself from the ad's extreme message.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Abdul El-Sayed disavowed a video linking U.S. food costs to aid for Israel.
- The ad, viewed over six million times, also attacked Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
- The video's creator, Cenk Uygur, defended the content against antisemitism claims.
- The co-founder of the group that produced the video, a co-founder, called the message "wildly antisemitic" and condemned it.
- Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Michigan rabbis also criticized the advertisement.
Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has been forced to disavow a controversial campaign video produced by an external progressive group. The advertisement, which has garnered over six million views on X, links rising food prices in the United States directly to American security assistance for Israel. The video also attacks Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who has stated his unconditional support for Israel.
The ad features images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, while a narrator criticizes Rogers for supporting Israel. The video was released by Cenk Uygur, the host and CEO of "The Young Turks" network, who founded the advocacy group in 2020. Despite its wide reach, the group reportedly spent only a few thousand dollars on text messages and digital advertising.
El-Sayed himself has been a vocal critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Despite his progressive stances and past opposition to military aid for Israel, he has recently sought support from Jewish voters. The extreme message of the video appears to have crossed a line for him.
Rogers' campaign spokesperson accused El-Sayed's campaign of spreading "anti-Israel hate." A group of Michigan rabbis claimed the ad employed clear antisemitic tropes. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, also condemned the video, calling it "fear-mongering about Israel." She stated that while reducing the cost of living is important, it should not be achieved by blaming "the Jewish homeland."
Surprisingly who co-founded the group that produced the video with Uygur, also denounced the ad. The co-founder of the group that produced the video, who has become a prominent defender of Israel since the war began, stated she has not been involved with the organization since 2022. She called the message "wildly antisemitic" and unequivocally condemned it.
Cenk Uygur, however, refused to apologize. He dismissed the antisemitism accusations as "ridiculous," arguing the video did not mention Jewish people but focused solely on Israel's government and American taxpayer expenses.
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