Michigan Jewish Residents Voice Antisemitism Fears Over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's Senate Bid

Some Jewish residents in Michigan say Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's campaign is heightening fears of antisemitism as Israel-related tensions spill into local politics.

The state, which has one of the nation's largest Arab American populations, has turned into a political hotspot where Middle East issues mix with worries about neighborhood security and community stability. Michigan's Jewish community, with roots stretching back more than 260 years, has felt especially vulnerable since a March terrorist attack on the state's largest synagogue in Bloomfield Hills.

"I’m a lifelong Michigan resident, and when somebody runs for office in our state, it’s always been somebody who is not based on hate," said Steve Cohen, a Michigan resident. "Mr. El-Sayed not only is spewing hate, but he’s spewing it at political conventions and everywhere. With our history in Michigan, it’s shameful. He’s not a qualified candidate. It’s time for the Jewish community, and, for that matter every other community, to stand up and say no, and enough is enough," he told Fox News Digital.

Those worries resurfaced after Michigan's recent Democratic State Convention, where attendees described disorder linked to Israel issues. Howard, a Michigan resident who requested anonymity for his last name, said El-Sayed supporters and activists flooded the event with newly registered Democrats.

"All you had to do was register within 30 days," Howard said. "They shouted down people like Haley Stevens and others who had supported Israel. It was a circus. Anybody who had ever supported Israel was targeted. Many residents left frightened by what they saw." Stevens faces El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.

Howard said many residents now worry about the political signal. "Mr. El-Sayed’s campaign appears centered on hostility toward Israel, and many Michigan residents are frightened about what that means for the future," he said.

Responding to concerns about antisemitism, community safety and his appearance with Hasan Piker, El-Sayed pointed to his own experience with religious bias. "I understand what it’s like to be discriminated against for how I pray," El-Sayed said. "This is why I will always stand against antisemitism and stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters and their right to practice their faith safely, freely, and unabashedly," he told Fox News Digital.

On campaigning with Piker, he added, "Obviously, I don't agree with some of the statements Hasan has made. But we play this game where we platform police and pretend that we're not allowed to talk to certain groups of people because they said something we disagree with. That's just not how the world works. And if we did that, we would be dividing ourselves, just like our politics is. I reject that game, and I go and talk to anyone, because I believe that there's an opportunity to actually persuade them."

Jesse Arm, vice president at the Manhattan Institute and a Michigan native pollster, said the Senate race tests Democratic tolerance for extremism and safety issues. "This race is becoming a proxy fight over whether Michigan Democrats remain a normal political party or continue drifting toward a faction that treats antisemitism and anti-American extremism as tolerable," Arm said. "For many Michiganders, not just Jewish voters, the question of whether the people seeking power take their safety seriously is no longer abstract."

Fox News Digital interviewed several Michigan residents and community members, though some declined to speak on the record due to fears of retaliation from extremists.

The concerns come as antisemitic incidents rise nationally. The American Jewish Committee’s 2025 State of Antisemitism in America report found that 91% of American Jews surveyed said recent violent antisemitic attacks raised their safety fears, a worry echoed in battleground states like Michigan.

Residents expressed anxiety that anti-Israel activism might worsen tensions in diverse neighborhoods. Critics say El-Sayed's progressive stance highlights rifts in Democratic politics over Israel.

Earlier this month, Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow, who is running against El-Sayed, said a Michigan Democratic activist directed an antisemitic slur at her Jewish husband in front of their 5-year-old daughter.