More than a dozen liberal Michigan rabbis and Jewish leaders, backed by the progressive Zionist group Zioness, released an open letter titled "Nonnegotiable Michigan" ahead of the state's closely watched U.S. Senate race. Without naming Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed directly, the letter lists five principles — including Jewish safety, the right to self-defined Jewish identity, Jewish sovereignty in Israel, political inclusion, and a positive vision for the Middle East — that it says candidates must affirm to earn Jewish votes. Organizers Rabbi Josh Whinston and Rabbi Aaron Starr said the effort predates but was sharpened by El-Sayed's recent partial apology for past comments about a synagogue attack in West Bloomfield Township.
The campaign contrasts with a separate effort by other Jewish leaders urging a vote for Republican Mike Rogers instead. El-Sayed, a vocal Israel critic, has been courting Jewish voters and plans to hire a Jewish liaison, but has not shifted on recognizing Jewish sovereignty in a two-state solution. Michigan's roughly 100,000-strong Jewish community has become a flashpoint in the race, which could help decide Senate control.
