Abdul El-Sayed apologizes to Jewish Democrats for controversial remarks regarding a synagogue attack

Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed apologized to the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus for comments made following a March attack on a synagogue in a Detroit suburb. During the attack, a man drove a vehicle into the building and opened fire before dying by suicide. El-Sayed had previously stated that "hurt people hurt people" and that "violence is a cycle," which some critics interpreted as justifying the actions of the assailant, who lost relatives in an Israeli airstrike. El-Sayed told reporters that his comments were misconstrued and that he intended to offer context rather than justification. He expressed regret for any hurt feelings, stating that it was not the right time for context. The apology comes as El-Sayed seeks to unify the Democratic Party ahead of his November matchup with Republican nominee Mike Rogers. While some Jewish Democrats, such as Attorney General Dana Nessel, have expressed reservations about El-Sayed's hostile rhetoric toward Israel, others have signaled a willingness to support him. El-Sayed also downplayed his association with controversial commentator Hasan Piker, emphasizing that the campaign focuses on domestic issues like affordability and the administration's impact on the state.

Sources

• Axios
  El-Sayed courts Jewish Democrats but won't dump Piker
• Jewish Insider
  Michigan AG Nessel tells Jewish Democrats to put ‘needs of world’ ahead of ‘our own survival’
• CBS News
  Abdul El-Sayed apologizes for his comments about Michigan synagogue attack
• CNN
  El-Sayed apologizes to Jewish Democrats as he seeks to bridge party divides

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• The Hill
  Clyburn says he backs El-Sayed: ‘All of us deserve second chances’