El-Sayed of Michigan Stands Firm Against Viewing Israel as an American Friend

A partner that accepts your funds to draw you into conflicts you should avoid does not qualify as an ally, he stated.

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed reinforced his critical stance on Israel during a Monday interview with ABC News, declaring that the country does not serve as a friend to the United States.

He answered a question on whether Israel counts as an ally by noting that a partner taking financial support to encourage involvement in unnecessary wars fails to meet that standard.

El-Sayed drew a comparison to a friend who borrows from your children's resources while speaking poorly of them and pulling them into arguments with others.

El-Sayed Urges Recognition That Israel Is Not America's Friend

He asked the reporter what advice one would give a child about such a friendship, suggesting the response would be that it is not a true friend.

The candidate concluded that Americans must now accept Israel is not a friend to the country.

His remarks follow recent claims about his sister-in-law Miriam Jukaku's role in a federal lawsuit tied to the terrorist watchlist during the Obama administration.

El-Sayed rejected the accusations in statements to Fox, insisting she had done nothing improper and pointing to Islamophobia linked to her name and systems put in place by individuals such as Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

The nominee also encountered questions earlier this month regarding alleged family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Jewish Leaders Call for Safety Standards

Rabbis and other Jewish figures have pressed the Democratic Party to adopt a set of nonnegotiable principles aimed at protecting Jewish safety, as concerns grow that El-Sayed's positions may place Jews at greater risk ahead of the November midterm elections.

Students identifying as Democrats from the University of Michigan have recently joined his campaign out of frustration with the other options in the Michigan Senate race.

Alex Carson and Maya Zanger-Shamir contributed to this report.