<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The campaign of Senate nominee <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/abdul-el-sayed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abdul El Sayed</a> will hire a liaison to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/michigan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michigan’s</a> Jewish community, marking an effort to address concerns from a historically Democratic voting bloc.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">El Sayed’s team is currently vetting candidates for the outreach role, according to a campaign spokeswoman. This hiring decision is part of an initiative to engage with Jewish officials in the state who have expressed reservations about his candidacy, particularly following comments made in March that were interpreted as justifying a car-ramming incident at a West Bloomfield synagogue.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">El Sayed condemned the attack, which was carried out by a Lebanese-born individual who lost family in an Israeli airstrike, but he also stated at the time that "violence is a cycle" and that "hurt people hurt people." </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On Saturday, El Sayed apologized to the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus for those remarks and attended the group’s “Summer Simcha” celebration the following day.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“If I had the opportunity to take it back, I would take it all the way back,” he <a href="https://www.jta.org/2026/08/31/politics/all-of-us-have-to-bring-down-violence-wherever-we-see-it-el-sayed-says-following-address-to-jewish-democrats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> the <em>Jewish Telegraphic Agency</em> on Sunday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">El Sayed’s comments come as Republican nominee <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/mike-rogers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mike Rogers</a> seeks support from the approximately 100,000 Jewish residents of Michigan, a key battleground state that could influence the control of the Senate in the upcoming election. Rogers lost his 2024 Senate race to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) by a margin of 19,000 votes.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">El Sayed <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4673520/michigan-senate-democratic-primary-results-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">won the Democratic nomination</a> for the seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) earlier this month, overcoming significant financial opposition, much of it from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. However, he continues to face skepticism from the Jewish community regarding his position on American military aid, as El Sayed supports ending all U.S. assistance to Israel, including funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">He has also faced challenges due to his previous association with controversial Twitch streamer <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/hasan-piker/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hasan Piker</a> during the primary. Piker is known for his critical views on Israel and recently suggested that American Jews who support Israel bear some responsibility for violence against them.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">El Sayed has distanced himself from Piker following those comments but continues to encounter scrutiny from members of his own party. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) has not endorsed El Sayed due to his past association with Piker.</p>