Abdul El-Sayed
El-Sayed, who beat roughly $30 million in AIPAC-backed opposition to win the primary, opposes U.S. military aid to the government of Israel, offensive and defensive alike, and says unconditional foreign military aid should be illegal. He calls the Gaza war a genocide: "a moral Rorschach test."
El-Sayed, Detroit's former health director, won the August 4, 2026 Democratic Senate primary and would face Mike Rogers in November. He has no federal voting record; his positions are stated, repeated, and central to his campaign.
On the aid itself his record already carries his own words: no U.S. tax dollars for foreign militaries "from the very jump," including "offensive, defensive" weapons alike, and "I think unconditional foreign military aid should be illegal," a rule he applies to Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia alongside Israel. After his primary win he told The Nation: "This is a moral Rorschach test. If you can't identify the systematic murder of tens of thousands of kids as a genocide and then you wanna say you're a fighter for human rights and dignity, that's just hypocrisy."
In April 2026 he told CNN that both Hamas and the Israeli government are evil, saying "Killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil," and per Jewish Insider's reporting he called Netanyahu a war criminal responsible for genocide. On Israel's "right to exist" he argues the framing deflects from Palestinian self-determination: Israel exists; both peoples need equal rights and a settlement they choose.
He pairs this with a stated line against antisemitism: anti-Jewish hatred must be rejected, Jews are not the Israeli government, and after the March 2026 Temple Israel attack he condemned it as "heinous." He warns that stretching the definition of antisemitism to cover criticism of a foreign government or of AIPAC is "dangerous." AIPAC has said it will oppose him in the general election as well.
Research
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- [Position, record's prior research, verified quotes on the record] "I've been clear from the very jump in my campaign that we don't pay ou[r tax dollars to foreign militaries]"; [2025-08-14] "And if we're not funding foreign militaries, that includes offensive, [defensive weapons]"; [2026-05-21] "I think unconditional foreign military aid should be illegal." These existing record quotes carry his core position.
- [Position, 2026-08-06, reported; video sources] CNN interview with Kaitlan Collins after the primary: opposes U.S. military aid to Israel including offensive and defensive weapons; extends the rule to Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia; "genocide, apartheid, or a war we don't need to fight" span. Sources are CNN video on Facebook and YouTube shorts, unwatched; consistent with his verified record quotes, and the substance is carried by those instead.
- [Position, 2026-08-06] The Nation, read: campaign platform described as centering "an end to US military funding to Israel"; the moral-Rorschach quote verified verbatim.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Nothing located as a distinct funding position; his statements concern weapons, military money, and the conflict's characterization.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2026-04-19] Jewish Insider, read: "Killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil" verified verbatim; JI reports (its words, not his verified quote) that he believes Netanyahu is a war criminal responsible for a genocide. Fuller quote versions from earlier accounts are not used.
- [Position, 2026-07/08, reported] Called Israel a "rogue state" and the Gaza campaign a "horrific genocide" and "apartheid" in debates and appearances.
- [Position, 2026-07-24] On Israel's "right to exist": the framing deflects from Palestinian self-determination; Israel exists as a state; equal rights and self-determination for both peoples; peace decided pragmatically by both (Washington Monthly critique; a Forward opinion source returned 403).
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Position, 2026-08-04/06] Primary win against ~$30 million in AIPAC-backed opposition (The Nation, Guardian, CBC, JTA, Jewish Exponent/AP); AIPAC has said it will oppose him in the general.
- [Position, 2026-04-19] Called for Sen. Van Hollen to replace Sen. Schumer as Democratic leader; JI ties this to Schumer's support for aid (the outlet's characterization).
- [Position, 2026-04, reported] Defended campaigning with streamer Hasan Piker, dismissing criticism as "cancel culture."
- [Position, 2026-08-09] General-election unity dynamics (Washington Post); [2026-08-13] accused Rogers of "hiding behind" attacks (WFMD).
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Position, 2026, reported] Repeatedly condemned antisemitism while distinguishing Jewish people from the Israeli government and from lobbying organizations; rejects the claim that criticizing AIPAC or the Israeli government is anti-Jewish hostility.
- [Position, 2026-08, reported] Warned that expanding the definition of antisemitism to cover political criticism of foreign governments or lobbies is "dangerous."
- [Position, 2026-03, reported] Condemned the Temple Israel attack as "heinous" and unjustifiable, remarking "hurt people hurt peo[ple]" (truncated in the source).
- The JDCA's piece on his challenge with Jewish voters is a critical advocacy source; recorded as context.
Also in this race: Lydia Lynn Christensen (Libertarian), Tim Long (Other), Douglas P. Marsh (Green), Mike Rogers (Republican) · All Michigan candidates.
See the full record →But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.