Rabbis Demand Israel Commitments from Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed
Nonnegotiable Michigan rabbis urged Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to commit to Jewish statehood during a Detroit rally, though El-Sayed and Barack Obama did not address the demands.
A group of 250 rabbis from the organization Nonnegotiable Michigan urged U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to publicly commit to five specific positions regarding Israel during an October 24 rally in Detroit. The demands included explicit support for Jewish statehood in Israel and the safety of Zionist Jews.
Neither Abdul El-Sayed nor former President Barack Obama addressed the rabbis' requests during the event. While some critics argued that the public nature of the demands increased Jewish vulnerability, the movement's organizers viewed the action as a strategic political move.
Co-founder Rabbi Aaron Starr described the effort as a template for a national model designed to help liberal Zionist Jews assert their political priorities. Starr indicated that the movement is looking beyond the current election cycle toward future contests, including the 2028 presidential race.
