ByANDREW LAPIN/JTA

JULY 8, 2026 14:48

Viewers tuning into Michigan's Democratic Senate primary debate Tuesday night might have overlooked that one contender enjoys strong backing from pro-Israel donors.

When asked about Iran, Rep. Haley Stevens stated that Israel's prime minister has failed, adding that both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had not delivered long-term peace.

Stevens later voiced support for aid into Gaza and repeated her view that Netanyahu has harmed American Jews.

She asserted that Mr. Netanyahu has not enhanced safety, advanced peace efforts, and poses a risk to Jews in America and globally.

These remarks marked pointed criticism of Israel's leadership from a candidate who, per federal records, has secured over 10 million dollars in backing from AIPAC-affiliated donors. Her progressive rival, Abdul El-Sayed, has sharply criticized the lobby on the trail and in the debate. Seen as a dependable pro-Israel Democrat in Congress, Stevens spoke amid shifting Democratic voter views on Israel.

El-Sayed charges Israel and AIPAC with shaping US foreign policy

El-Sayed claimed during the debate that US foreign policy has been dictated by Israel and AIPAC, labeling Israel a rogue state.

The former Wayne County health director, whose campaign has built support through anti-Israel messaging, offered direct criticism.

Pointing to AIPAC's influence as driving the US-Israeli actions against Iran, El-Sayed said the group's aims include annexing Lebanon or pursuing genocide in Gaza. He accused Israel of human rights abuses, genocide, and apartheid, urging an end to unconditional US funding for Israel's military.

He linked voter economic struggles to Israel, asking why gas costs five dollars and why the nation remains stuck in conflict, blaming foreign policy shaped by Israel and AIPAC to serve their interests across parties.

He argued there is little distinction between Stevens and Republican nominee Mike Rogers regarding Israel.

El-Sayed said that whether Stevens or Rogers prevails, Israel benefits, as AIPAC accepts either opponent knowing they will reliably support its positions in the Senate.

Stevens, who backs a two-state solution, dismissed the criticism, stating no one controls her vote or policies and that donors support her due to her record serving Michigan.

El-Sayed suggested Stevens' criticism of Netanyahu, who faces low approval among American voters, lacked sincerity. Netanyahu had told CNN that Stevens' earlier remarks on his impact on American Jews were likely an attempt to justify antisemitism.

El-Sayed expressed doubt about the authenticity, saying at the debate that Netanyahu's attack on Stevens aimed to deflect from her firm alignment with Israeli policy.

El-Sayed also faulted Stevens for a June 2025 House vote thanking ICE officers, part of a resolution condemning a firebombing at a march for Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado. Stevens said Republicans inserted a cynical element about ICE and that El-Sayed fell into a GOP trap.

Israel has become a key issue before the August 4 Michigan primary in a battleground state with sizable Jewish and Arab or Muslim communities. A third candidate who sought a middle path between Stevens and El-Sayed ended her campaign this week, heightening concerns among American Jews about the contest.

Stevens seeks Senate seat after defeating Jewish progressive

Stevens' Senate run follows her 2022 victory over Jewish progressive Rep. Andy Levin, who had criticized Israel, in a race featuring more than 4 million dollars in AIPAC-linked spending. Since then, she has stayed among the shrinking group of House Democrats opposing all efforts to restrict or tie conditions to military aid for Israel.

El-Sayed's campaign occurs as other anti-Israel progressives win primaries, moving Democratic discourse on Israel leftward. In a Tuesday CNN interview, El-Sayed targeted the concept of a Jewish state itself.

He told CNN that every definition of a Jewish state leads to illiberal values. When asked if support for Israel could extend beyond financial interests, he replied that it could not for Democrats who value human rights.

Other Michigan contests also focus on Democratic positions regarding Israel. El-Sayed has endorsed two left-leaning congressional candidates, state Rep. Donavan McKinney and activist William Lawrence, both of whom have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. Stevens has backed pro-Israel state Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Jewish candidate, for her House seat.

Further down the ballot, Democratic activist Abbas Alawieh, a leader in the 2024 Uncommitted movement pressuring Democrats on Gaza, received an endorsement Tuesday from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a state senate seat. Alawieh has also met with former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost Michigan to Donald Trump partly due to dissatisfaction among the state's Arab and Muslim voters over her Israel stance.