Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed Clash Over Israel in Final Debate
Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed clashed over Jewish voter safety and Israel during their final televised Senate debate in Detroit.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faced off in their final televised debate in Detroit on Wednesday, centering their conflict on Jewish voter concerns and foreign policy. Rogers claimed Jewish Democrats are afraid of El-Sayed, citing the candidate's rhetoric and alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood as reasons for voter defection.
El-Sayed denied membership in the Muslim Brotherhood and criticized Rogers as an AIPAC-backed politician, following reports that the pro-Israel lobbying group plans to contribute up to $9 million to a pro-Rogers super PAC. The candidates also clashed over Iran, with Rogers accusing El-Sayed of failing to condemn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while El-Sayed argued the Obama-era nuclear agreement had contained the Iranian threat.
The debate follows a public letter from Nonnegotiable Michigan, a coalition of rabbis and Jewish civic leaders, accusing El-Sayed of remaining silent for six weeks regarding Jewish safety. The group criticized El-Sayed for stating that Israel is not actually a friend to the U.S. and for previously downplaying an attempted massacre at Temple Israel synagogue in Bloomfield, Michigan. While El-Sayed has apologized for those remarks and vowed to stand against antisemitism, the coalition argues his language reinforces harmful stereotypes.
