Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told a gathering of Jewish Democrats that they have a “moral imperative” to place the world&#8217;s needs above &#8220;our own survival&#8221; when voting in November. 
Nessel, a Jewish Democrat who has emerged as one of the party’s most prominent critics of its handling of antisemitism and Israel, made the remarks Sunday at the Michigan Democratic Party’s Jewish Caucus&#8217; annual &#8220;Summer Simcha&#8221; in Birmingham, where she was honored.
 Members of the media were barred from the gathering, but the <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/31/dana-nessel-jewish-democrats-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-israel/91541945007/">Detroit News</a> obtained a recording of her remarks.
“Come November, what do your Jewish values tell you to do?” Nessel asked the audience. “It’s so easy to hate people right now, especially other Democrats who seem to have thrown us under the bus, despite our lifelong contributions to our party.” 
&#8220;We have a moral imperative to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest and, yes, even our own survival,&#8221; she continued.
Nessel then invoked the biblical story of Queen Esther, who she said was willing to sacrifice her own life to save the Jewish people. 
“It is perhaps up to us now to follow in her path and sacrifice the comfort, safety and security and even the very future of our own people in exchange for the opportunity to save the rest of humanity,” Nessel said.
Her remarks came amid a bitter divide among Michigan Democrats over Israel and the Democratic Party’s relationship with Jewish voters.
Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, a vocal critic of Israel and U.S. military aid to the country, attended the gathering. Nessel has previously criticized El-Sayed over comments he made following a March attempted attack on Temple Israel, a synagogue in West Bloomfield. El-Sayed apologized to Jewish Democrats at Sunday’s event for his earlier remarks, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-rogers-slams-abdul-el-sayeds-apology-to-jews-as-political-theater">though not all were impressed.</a> 
Nessel framed the decision facing Jewish Democrats as a choice between their concerns about Israel and Jewish security and what she portrayed as broader threats to humanity, including climate change, nuclear war, artificial intelligence, and economic inequality.
“What good is defending the historic homeland of our ancestors and demanding that candidates acknowledge its right to exist if the planet upon which it rests is no longer inhabitable?” she asked.
Nessel also criticized what she described as the Democratic Party’s treatment of Jewish Americans, saying many Jewish Democrats feel they “must choose between our faith and our party.”  
She acknowledged the frustration over anti-Israel rhetoric within Democratic circles, including arguments that Zionism is equivalent to racism or fascism. 
“People whose entire understanding of Jewish-Israeli history fits neatly into a 47-second TikTok produced by Qatar or Iran,” she said.
But Nessel also argued that supporting President Donald Trump and the Republican Party amounted to an abandonment of Jewish responsibilities. 
“I would argue that their support of selfishness and blind obedience to the world’s biggest and most dangerous fool is a direct abdication of our responsibilities as Jews whose traditions demand a profound obligation to the world and compassionate action toward others,” she said.
Nessel’s remarks came one day after she skipped the Michigan Democratic Party’s state convention because she feared she would be harassed or booed by fellow Democrats. 
“I feel like my presence isn’t going to be welcome,” Nessel said at the time. “I don’t want to get chased around. I don’t want to get harassed. I don’t want to get yelled and screamed at. I don’t want to get booed off the stage.”
Nessel later told The Atlantic’s David Frum that she had witnessed an “enormous amount of antisemitism within the Democratic Party” since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel. 
She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-ag-warns-el-sayed-is-making-excuses-for-domestic-terrorism">specifically criticized</a> El-Sayed for his response to the attempted attack on Temple Israel, saying she believed his effort to connect the attack to Israeli military action risked providing an excuse for antisemitic violence.
Nessel has not publicly endorsed El-Sayed despite being a Democrat and saying she will not support his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. At Sunday’s event, however, she urged Jewish Democrats to consider what she called their broader obligations when deciding how to vote.
The Michigan Senate race is expected to be closely watched as Democrats attempt to defend the open seat and Republicans seek to flip it.

Dana Nessel

Michigan AG Tells Jews They Have ‘Moral Imperative’ To Sacrifice Themselves For Humanity

2026 election

2026 elections

2026 midterm

2026 Midterms

Abdul El-Sayed

American Jews

Anti-Semitism

anti-Zionism

antisemitism

Democratic Party

elections 2026

Jewish

Jewish Americans

Jews

Michigan

Zionism

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed attempted to explain comments he made after a March terrorist attack on a Detroit-area synagogue, but Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers quickly dismissed the Democrat&#8217;s remarks as an insincere political maneuver.
El-Sayed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/29/us/politics/el-sayed-apology-jewish-democrats.html">addressed</a> the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus at the state Democratic Party’s convention in Lansing on Saturday, telling reporters after the convention that his response to the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township had been inappropriate. 
“My comments might have been misconstrued to be justifying something I did not intend to justify,” El-Sayed said. “To anybody who feels like my comments might have been hurtful, I’m really sorry. That was not my intention.”
El-Sayed also said that he had tried to provide “context” for the attack when he should have simply condemned it. 
“What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn’t the time for context, and you don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain,” he said.
The comments came months after a Muslim man intentionally drove a truck into Temple Israel and opened fire on a security guard in what federal authorities described as Hezbollah-inspired terrorism against Jews. In his initial response, El-Sayed condemned the attack but also attempted to explain it, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/radical-senate-candidate-admits-he-struggles-to-say-israel-has-a-right-to-exist">saying</a> that “violence is a cycle” and &#8220;hurt people hurt people.&#8221;
El-Sayed continued his efforts to mend relations with Michigan’s Jewish community Monday, <a href="https://x.com/AbdulElSayed/status/2094439339681828951">posting on X</a> that he was “grateful” to join the Michigan Jewish Democrats at their Summer Simcha event. “There is so much more that we agree on than what divides us,” El-Sayed wrote. “Glad to share space with this thoughtful, vibrant community.”
Rogers, however, said El-Sayed’s latest remarks did not amount to a genuine apology. “When someone says you might have been offended by what I said, that’s not an apology,” Rogers said in an interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox and Friends. “He has a long history, Brian, of antisemitic comments, inflammatory comments. He’s angry. He’s aggressive.”
Rogers argued that El-Sayed’s change in tone was driven by political pressure rather than a genuine change in his views, especially since El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign is attempting to attract Jewish Democrats uncomfortable with his record.
“The polling said, hey, he needed to change this,” Rogers said, pointing to what he described as a growing number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-ag-warns-el-sayed-is-making-excuses-for-domestic-terrorism?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Democratic+AG+Warns+El-Sayed+Is+Making+%E2%80%98Excuses%E2%80%99+For+Domestic+Terrorism">Jewish Democrats in Michigan</a> supporting his campaign. “We’ve had big events. That group is swelling by the day. So that was his sad attempt, I think, to try to stem that bleeding.”
“But listen, you are who you are,” he added. “This guy is so thick with that angry rhetoric about antisemitism, and it is causing real problems around the state.”
El-Sayed’s apology comes amid broader scrutiny of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hasan-piker-brags-el-sayed-is-faking-moderation-to-scam-voters">his relationship with Hasan Piker</a>, the America-hating political streamer who campaigned alongside El-Sayed during the Democratic primary. El-Sayed has said he does not plan to campaign with Piker during the general election, but has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-defends-alliance-with-hasan-piker-in-newly-circulated-video">stopped well short of condemning him</a>.
The Democratic nominee defeated Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in the August primary despite concerns from some Jewish Democrats over his views on Israel and his associations with Piker. 
Rogers said those concerns are becoming increasingly apparent. 
“We talked to a Jewish woman the other day, University of Michigan, who has to hide her Star of David because she’s afraid to walk to class because of the aggressive behavior toward her because she’s Jewish,” Rogers said. “We’ve got to stop this.”
“Abdul’s too extreme for this state,” he added. “And we’re going to beat him in November.”

Untitled design (12)

Mike Rogers Slams Abdul El-Sayed’s ‘Apology’ To Jews As Political Theater

2026

Islam in America

Mike Rogers

Politics

Senate

Senate Race

U.S. Politics

U.S. Senate

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is escalating her criticism of the Democratic Party’s handling of antisemitism, warning that the party has become increasingly hostile to Jewish Americans and expressing concern that U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has never withdrawn comments she says appeared to rationalize an attempted attack on a Michigan synagogue.
Nessel, a Jewish Democrat who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jewish-democrat-ag-wont-attend-partys-convention-due-to-safety-concerns">previously announced</a> that she would skip the Michigan Democratic Party’s upcoming state convention because she feared being harassed, discussed her concerns Wednesday on The Atlantic’s “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/08/david-frum-show-dana-nessel-jewish-voters-michigan/688413/">The David Frum Show.</a>”
“I began to perceive an enormous amount of antisemitism within the Democratic Party,” Nessel told host David Frum, saying the problem had intensified following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Nessel said she has faced antisemitic death threats since taking office, but that the nature of the hostility changed after October 7. 
“I would say mentally unstable people on the far Right that were threatening me or other Jews, but now it became really a both-sides situation,” she said.
The comments come as Michigan Democrats remain divided over El-Sayed, a left-wing Senate candidate who defeated Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in the Democratic primary and is now the party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate seat.
Nessel specifically pointed to El-Sayed’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/radical-senate-candidate-admits-he-struggles-to-say-israel-has-a-right-to-exist">response</a> to the March 12 attempted attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, a synagogue with a large preschool where approximately 140 children were present.
El-Sayed initially condemned the attack, saying there was “no room for antisemitism in America.” But in a <a href="https://x.com/AbdulElSayed/status/2032529011646038257?s=20">video</a> released the following day, he went further, linking the attempted attack to the deaths of the gunman’s relatives in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. 
“A week earlier, an airstrike killed [the gunman&#8217;s] niece and nephew,” El-Sayed said. “Imagine if that had never happened. Imagine there was no war in Iran. Imagine if there were no airstrikes in Lebanon.”
He then said Americans could “and must” condemn both the attack on Temple Israel and U.S. military action overseas. Nessel said she believes that framing amounted to an unacceptable attempt to contextualize or excuse domestic terrorism. 
“I don’t think we should ever be making those kinds of excuses,” Nessel said. “And in a way, propping up people who maybe seek to commit those crimes.”
Nessel said she believes El-Sayed privately regrets the remarks after meetings with Jewish elected officials and members of Michigan’s Jewish Democratic caucus. But she said that, nearly six months later, he has still not publicly withdrawn the comments. “He still has not withdrawn those statements and said, ‘I misspoke,’ or, ‘I now recognize the harm that I caused by making those statements,’” Nessel said. “And it has me concerned that he really stands by them.”
Nessel said she has increasingly encountered what she views as a fundamental misunderstanding of Judaism, Israel, and the relationship between Jews around the world and the Jewish state. 
“I think that’s really caused a rise in, again, they would call it anti-Zionism, but I call it antisemitism,” she said.
Her concerns have already prompted Nessel to take the unusual step of skipping her own party’s state convention. Nessel announced last month that she would not attend the August 29 Michigan Democratic Party convention in Lansing because she believed she would be heckled or booed. 
“I feel like my presence isn’t going to be welcome,” Nessel said at the time. “I don’t want to get chased around. I don’t want to get harassed. I don’t want to get yelled and screamed at. I don’t want to get booed off the stage.” 
She said she believed that would happen because “it’s been happening to me.”
El-Sayed has embraced prominent anti-Israel activists during his campaign, including appearing with leftist streamer Hasan Piker. Former Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow, another prominent Michigan Democrat, has also acknowledged antisemitism within the party. McMorrow <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2026/05/mcmorrow-says-dems-have-an-antisemitism-problem-during-mich-senate-debate/">said</a> earlier this year that an attendee at the Michigan Democratic Party&#8217;s onvention directed an antisemitic slur at her Jewish husband while he was walking with their young daughter.
El-Sayed has rejected the notion that criticism of his Israel policies is evidence of antisemitism, arguing that antisemitism and Islamophobia are both manifestations of what he called “the scourge of white supremacy.” Nessel&#8217;s warning comes less than three days before Michigan Democrats are scheduled to gather in Lansing, where Nessel herself will be absent because she fears the reaction of fellow Democrats.
“I still — I leave hope for the fact that Abdul will have heard what many of us have said about why we’re very upset about those remarks,” Nessel said. “And that he will seek to, I don’t want to say clarify, but at least to withdraw those earlier remarks.”
“He still hasn’t done it,” she added. “But I hope that we’ll hear more from him about this soon.”

Rep. Elissa Slotkin Holds Campaign Rally At Michigan State University

Democratic AG Warns El-Sayed Is Making ‘Excuses’ For Domestic Terrorism

Senate Democrats

California imam <a href="https://www.memri.org/tv/california-imam-islam-save-america-columbus">Amir Abdel Malik Ali</a> told a congregation that Islam existed in the Americas before Christianity, claimed Christopher Columbus saw a mosque when he arrived, and declared that Islam is “what’s going to save America.”
Ali, the longtime CEO and imam of <a href="https://www.investigativeproject.org/mosques/380/masjid-al-islam#_ftnref2">Masjid Al-Islam</a> in Oakland, made the remarks during a May 1 sermon at the Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley.
&#8220;Islam was in the Americas before Christianity was,&#8221; Ali said, according to a video published by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Ali told the congregation that when Muslims are told to “go back home,” they should respond that Islam was already present in the Americas before Europeans arrived. He insisted Columbus&#8217;s diary proved it.
According to MEMRI, Ali claimed that on October 8, 1492, Columbus was sailing off the coast of Cuba when he “looked up on a mountain and saw a mosque.” He also claimed that Columbus encountered indigenous people whom he described as “dressed like Mohammedans.”
Ali&#8217;s account, however, does not match the historical record.
Columbus did not reach Cuba until October 28, 1492, weeks after the October 8 date Ali reportedly cited.
As researcher <a href="https://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/did-columbus-find-an-ancient-mosque-in-cuba">Jason Colavito</a> has noted, in an October 29, 1492, diary entry, Columbus compared the shape of a Cuban mountain to &#8220;a graceful mosque,&#8221; according to an abstract of his journal preserved by Bartolomé de las Casas. The passage describes the appearance of the landscape, not the discovery of an actual mosque.
Ali used his account of history to argue that Islam will play an increasingly important role in the United States.
“There are major changes coming to this country,&#8221; he said. “Muslims or Islam will play a major role because they possess the solution. Allah has given the Quran and the Sunnah, and that is what will save America.”
The remarks are the latest in a long public record of radical rhetoric from the Oakland-based imam.
During a February 2005 speech at the University of California, Irvine, Ali appeared to justify Palestinian suicide bombers who targeted Israeli buses, arguing that Israeli soldiers traveled aboard the buses. He said the terrorists were &#8220;going after soldiers who are on those buses,&#8221; according to remarks documented by the Investigative Project on Terrorism.
He referred to the attackers as &#8220;freedom fighters.&#8221;
During another appearance at the University of California, Irvine, Ali declared: &#8220;We’re gonna fight [the United States and Israel] and we’re gonna win. And it’s gonna be either victory or martyrdom, that&#8217;s how it goes.” 
Ali also celebrated Hamas&#8217;s electoral victory during a 2006 Muslim Student Association conference in Sacramento and referred to two of the terrorist group&#8217;s former leaders, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, as having been &#8220;martyred.&#8221;
“Our beloved Sheikh Yassin was martyred and then Sheikh Rantisi was martyred after him.”

Columbus/Imam

California Imam Makes Wild Claims About Christopher Columbus, Islam

Amir Abdel Malik Ali

CAIR

Islamic Extremism

Islamic Jihad

Islamic terrorists

Masjid Al-Islam

A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit accusing Harvard of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment, ruling Thursday that the government failed to show that the university remains in violation of federal civil rights law.
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns granted Harvard’s motion to dismiss the case, finding that the government&#8217;s amended complaint did not sufficiently allege that Harvard is currently violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department in March, accused Harvard of turning “a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis” following the wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that erupted after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
But Stearns found that the government’s case relied overwhelmingly on incidents from the 2023-24 academic year. Only three incidents cited in the amended complaint occurred afterward, all in March 2025.
 “Without diminishing any concern arising from these occurrences,” Stearns wrote, the incidents were “too isolated and episodic” to support a finding that “any institutionalized noncompliance with Title VI persists at Harvard to this day.” 
The timing was particularly important because Title VI requires the government to notify a recipient of federal funds of its alleged noncompliance and determine that voluntary compliance cannot be secured before seeking judicial enforcement. 
The government sent Harvard that notice on June 30, 2025, but the amended complaint did not allege violations occurring after that date. Stearns said the administration&#8217;s interpretation of the law would effectively turn Title VI into a mechanism for punishing schools rather than bringing them into compliance.
The judge also rejected the administration’s alternative argument that it could seek damages for alleged violations from the 2023-24 school year.
Stearns did not rule that the earlier allegations of antisemitic harassment were false. His dismissal turned on whether the government had sufficiently alleged an ongoing violation that could support relief under Title VI. 
The Trump administration&#8217;s amended complaint pointed to incidents in which Jewish students were allegedly harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon during campus demonstrations.
Harvard has insisted that it has taken steps to address antisemitism, including establishing a task force, changing disciplinary policies, and making administrative changes.
The university has also successfully challenged several other elements of the Trump administration’s campaign against it. Other litigation remains ongoing, including disputes over billions of dollars in federal research funding and the administration’s efforts concerning Harvard’s international students.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department disagreed with Stearns’ ruling and was considering its next steps. 
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is actively investigating antisemitism nationwide,” Dhillon <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/education/6027947-judge-dismisses-harvard-antisemitism-lawsuit/">said</a>, noting that the department has an “extensive and active portfolio” of antisemitism enforcement cases.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-PROTEST

Judge Throws Out Trump’s Harvard Antisemitism Case

anti-Israel

campus

Harmeet Dhillon

Harvard

Harvard University

higher education

Intifada

Trump Administration

Jews were the targets in 70% of all hate crimes recorded in New York City last month, according to NYPD <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/PR012/nypd-fewest-shooting-incidents-shooting-victims-murders-recorded-history-the">data</a> released Monday. Of the 33 confirmed hate crimes citywide in July, 23 were antisemitic.
That figure is 53% higher than the 15 antisemitic incidents logged in July 2025. Jews have been targeted more than every other group combined every month for the past several years. In July, the imbalance was sharper than usual.
Since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office on January 1, overall hate crimes in the city are up 9.4% compared with the same stretch last year, rising from 329 to 360. Confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes stand at 205 so far in 2026, an 8.5% increase from the 189 recorded during the same period in 2025. 
That works out to one antisemitic hate crime every 25 hours on average. Jews make up roughly 10% of New York City&#8217;s population, yet 57% of all hate crimes recorded this year have targeted Jews, which is nearly identical to the share last year before Mamdani entered office.
Hate crimes against Asians, black people, and white people declined this year. Incidents targeting Hispanic people and Muslims rose, according to the NYPD.
Among the July cases: a Jewish man was stabbed with a screwdriver on the Upper West Side; an Asian man who is not Jewish was also injured in that attack. In Brooklyn, an assailant shoved a 64-year-old Jewish man to the ground while shouting antisemitic slurs. In Queens, a suspect threw bags of motor oil and feces at two synagogues.
Mamdani addressed the numbers at a Monday press conference, saying, &#8220;The work to uproot antisemitism out of this city is one that will continue until we see hate crimes come to an end in the city.&#8221;
City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is Jewish and has pushed efforts against antisemitism in city government, said she remains “deeply concerned and very troubled by the unacceptable spike in all hate crimes, particularly driven by those targeting Jewish New Yorkers.”
Major crimes such as shootings, murders, robberies, and assaults are generally down in the city. The rise in hate crimes presents a challenge for Mamdani, who took office promising to combat hatred and has increased funding for hate crimes prevention. New York has the largest Jewish population of any city outside of Israel.
Jewish leaders have repeatedly warned that the mayor’s anti-Israel rhetoric risks fueling more antisemitism. Last month, several prominent Jewish leaders and groups criticized a video in which Mamdani called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” while noting that as mayor he lacked the power to arrest him during any visit to New York.
A global report covering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/2025-was-deadliest-year-for-antisemitic-violence-since-1994-new-report-finds?author=Leona+Salinas&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=2025+Was+Deadliest+Year+For+Antisemitic+Violence+Since+1994%2C+New+Report+Finds">2025</a> found that year was the deadliest for antisemitic violence since 1994, with 20 people killed in attacks across seven countries that together hold more than 90% of the Jewish population outside Israel. More than 23,000 antisemitic incidents were documented in those countries alone.

Protesters Rally In New York During United Nations General Assembly

New York City Records Rising Number Of Antisemitic Hate Crimes

Israel

New York

Zohran Mamdani

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday that she will skip next month&#8217;s Michigan Democratic Party convention because she fears being harassed, adding another flashpoint to a party increasingly divided over Israel and antisemitism during a bitter U.S. Senate primary.
Speaking during a <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2026/07/30/nessel-says-she-wont-attend-michigan-dems-convention-over-safety-concerns/">roundtable</a> discussion with Jewish leaders and community members, Nessel said she no longer feels safe attending the party&#8217;s August 29 convention in Lansing after what she described as repeated harassment.
&#8220;I feel like my presence isn&#8217;t going to be welcome. I don&#8217;t want to get chased around. I don&#8217;t want to get harassed. I don&#8217;t want to get yelled and screamed at. I don&#8217;t want to get booed off the stage, irrespective of what I&#8217;m saying,&#8221; Nessel said. &#8220;And I believe that if I go, that is what will happen because it&#8217;s been happening to me.&#8221;
Nessel also criticized Democratic Party leadership for failing to adequately respond to concerns she said she had repeatedly raised about individuals who have targeted her, warning that antisemitism on the political Left has become a growing problem within the party. 
&#8220;I will speak as a member of the Democratic Party here in Michigan, that some things have changed,&#8221; Nessel said. &#8220;This cannot continue, and the fact of the matter is, we have to be able to be a society where we can have intelligent discourse and debate about ideas without people being threatened, and certainly without people carrying out those threats.&#8221;
Her comments come as Michigan Democrats are engaged in one of the country&#8217;s most closely watched Senate primaries, with the party&#8217;s ideological divide over Israel increasingly spilling into public view.
Left-wing candidate Abdul El-Sayed has embraced some of the Democratic Party&#8217;s most vocal anti-Israel activists during the campaign, including <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hasan-piker-michigan-senate-race-abdul-el-sayed/">campaigning</a> with far-Left political streamer Hasan Piker. Third Way, a center-left think tank, <a href="https://x.com/ThirdWayTweet/status/2036484738022596671?s=20">condemned the partnership</a>, calling Piker &#8220;anti-American, anti-women, anti-western and antisemitic&#8221; and arguing he should be &#8220;pushed to the fringe, not welcomed onto the stage.&#8221; El-Sayed dismissed the criticism in an interview with <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2026/03/25/michigans-el-sayed-unfazed-by-backlash-against-upcoming-campaign-event-with-hasan-piker/">Michigan Advance</a>, portraying it as an attack from establishment Democrats and &#8220;corporate-funded think tanks.&#8221;
Former Senate candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/influential-democrat-drops-out-of-primary-in-key-senate-battleground?trueLinkId=6JvjPnkjnAeCumQ6ZN%2BoGpNLJEFZ07Awl5KNTB6i2A1L44xz%2BMg08Mz8M%2BYvzzUKo9coheltLMaAYibfZ9nbDQ%3D%3D&amp;trueLinkTs=1783452774&amp;trueLinkExpiry=43200">Mallory McMorrow</a> has also acknowledged antisemitism within the Democratic Party, recounting an incident at the Democratic National Convention in which, she said, an attendee shouted an antisemitic slur at her Jewish husband while he was walking with their five-year-old daughter. 
&#8220;There is,&#8221; McMorrow <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2026/05/mcmorrow-says-dems-have-an-antisemitism-problem-during-mich-senate-debate/">replied</a> when asked whether antisemitism was a problem within the party. &#8220;That is terrifying,&#8221; she added.
El-Sayed, by contrast, argued that antisemitism and Islamophobia both stem from &#8220;the scourge of white supremacy&#8221; before pivoting to criticism of U.S. support for Israel. 
&#8220;We can walk and chew gum at the same time,&#8221; El-Sayed said. &#8220;It should not mean that we allow our money to subsidize apartheid and genocide.&#8221;
Responding to Nessel&#8217;s decision not to attend the convention, Michigan Democratic Party spokesman Derrick Honeyman said the party remains committed to ensuring the gathering is safe for all attendees. 
&#8220;We reject antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hateful conduct,&#8221; Honeyman said. &#8220;We are working diligently with stakeholders, elected officials, and party membership to prepare for our August convention and look forward to welcoming Michigan Democrats to the Lansing Center on August 29.&#8221;

2024 Democratic National Convention TW

Jewish Democrat AG Won’t Attend Party’s Convention Due To Safety Concerns

Election

Hasan Piker

Michigan Primary

Primary

For decades, New York City mayors — from John Lindsay to Eric Adams — understood that standing with the Jewish community wasn’t just a political tradition; it was a moral imperative. They marched up Fifth Avenue in the Celebrate Israel Parade, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvVtu7iSfT4">built sukkahs</a> for visiting Israeli prime ministers, and declared themselves &#8220;brothers&#8221; to a community that forms the very backbone of the Big Apple.
But in 2026, that tradition has been unceremoniously torched by leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani’s refusal to attend the Israel Day on Fifth parade is more than just a scheduling conflict; it is a calculated, partisan boycott. As Assemblyman Michael Novakhov (R-Brooklyn) rightly noted, this is a &#8220;disgraceful insult&#8221; to Jewish New Yorkers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Zohran Mamdani has officially confirmed that he will boycott New York City’s Israel Day Parade — becoming the face of a Democratic Party now controlled by radical anti-Israel extremists.
After weeks of antisemitic chaos outside synagogues across our city, this should surprise… <a href="https://t.co/rhKZzxZPU0">pic.twitter.com/rhKZzxZPU0</a>
&mdash; Michael Novakhov (@MichaelforNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelforNY/status/2054593999097225375?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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For a mayor to snub an event that brings 50,000 marchers to the streets — an event every mayor since Robert Wagner in 1964 has honored — is nothing short of a radical break from the city’s identity.
While Mamdani claims he won’t attend a parade for a state with a &#8220;system of hierarchy on the basis of religion,&#8221; his calendar tells a different story. This is the same man who proudly marched in the Pakistan Independence Day parade. Apparently, a state that enforces brutal blasphemy laws and enshrines a specific religion in its governance is perfectly fine for a photo-op, but the world’s only Jewish state is a bridge too far.
On Thursday, while the Jewish community reels from Mamdani&#8217;s snub, City Hall is celebrating &#8220;Muslim Day.&#8221; The contrast is staggering. While Mamdani and New York City&#8217;s government find the energy to host press conferences for his preferred constituencies, he exhibits a pathetic lassitude toward the antisemitic rot festering in his own streets.
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Yet another one of these events planned at City Hall this week.
Particularly tone deaf after the violence we’ve seen directed at synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods over the past few days, but they REALLY want to make sure we understand who’s in charge now. <a href="https://t.co/q5vlXpkpii">pic.twitter.com/q5vlXpkpii</a>
&mdash; Hon. Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) <a href="https://twitter.com/VickieforNYC/status/2054600253521776893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In neighborhoods like Midwood, the &#8220;mob&#8221; that Novakhov warned about is <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2054153512422944809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2054153512422944809%7Ctwgr%5Ea93ea06288579be4d5f10e6ec74cc83c12314519%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1095129action%3Dedit">already here</a>. In the streets, &#8220;anti-Zionist&#8221; thugs have waved Hezbollah flags, shouting &#8220;Globalize the Intifada&#8221; and screaming &#8220;Remember Khaybar&#8221; — a chilling reference to the 7th-century slaughter and subjugation of Jews. Women have been dragged by their hair and residents harassed in their own doorways by masked agitators shouting &#8220;baby killer.&#8221;
And where is the mayor? He is busy evading questions about his double standards and hiding behind bureaucratic platitudes about &#8220;equal rights.&#8221; His administration’s response to these intimidation tactics has been one of profound indifference.
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It’s almost 48 hours since <a href="https://twitter.com/WOLPalestine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WOLPalestine</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/PAL_Awda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PAL_Awda</a> terrorized the Jewish community in Brooklyn. 
Yet, not a word from the Boy <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCMayor</a> on X condemning the conduct of groups associated with <a href="https://twitter.com/NerdeenKiswani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NerdeenKiswani</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/lsarsour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lsarsour</a> doing so.
But tomorrow it’s Muslim Day at City Hall. <a href="https://t.co/6xc2Q9TYnv">https://t.co/6xc2Q9TYnv</a> <a href="https://t.co/XaEcRxGEOA">pic.twitter.com/XaEcRxGEOA</a>
&mdash; SCOOCH.NYC (@david_sivella) <a href="https://twitter.com/david_sivella/status/2054634662371246104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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While the City Council recently <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/mamdani-vetoes-school-buffer-zone-bill-leading-jewish-groups-pan-profound-failure/">passed legislation</a> to protect houses of worship from these vitriolic sieges, the police are still waiting for the green light to actually enforce it.
Mamdani’s boycott isn&#8217;t a principled stand for human rights; it is a signal to the most radical elements of his base that the Jewish community is fair game. By refusing to stand with Israel, he has chosen to stand with the Jew-hating mob that feels increasingly emboldened under his watch.

NJ/NY Gotham FC v Boston Legacy FC

Mamdani’s Latest Slap In The Face To Jewish Voters

New York City

Pakistan

Two teenagers, including an 18-year-old girl, were arrested earlier this week and charged with plotting a major attack on one of the largest Jewish synagogues in Houston.
Authorities arrested 18-year-old Angelina Han Hicks of Lexington, North Carolina, on Wednesday and accused her of planning to &#8220;kill as many Jews as possible&#8221; in an attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-texas-synagogue-attack-plot-387b32d268fb0cd71c9415c418856a96">reported</a>. Hicks is accused of plotting the attack alongside two &#8220;male subjects.&#8221; The conspirators planned to murder Jewish worshipers by driving a vehicle through the synagogue on April 21, 2028, according to court documents.
It appears that one of the other alleged co-conspirators was also arrested earlier this week. The Houston Police Department announced on Thursday that a 16-year-old was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit capital murder in relation to &#8220;a threat directed towards certain Jewish institutions in our area.&#8221;
The Houston Police did not say the 16-year-old was arrested for a planned attack on Congregation Beth Israel specifically, but authorities in Texas&#8217; largest city said they learned about the threat on the same day Hicks was taken into custody in North Carolina. Court documents identified Hicks&#8217; alleged co-conspirators as &#8220;Teegan&#8221; and &#8220;Angel,&#8221; the Houston Chronicle <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/religion/article/houston-beth-israel-arrest-22221195.php">reported</a>.
Congregation Beth Israel, which also runs a school for pre-K through 5th graders, closed on Wednesday &#8220;out of an abundance of caution&#8221; after Houston police alerted the synagogue&#8217;s leadership to the threat. The synagogue reopened on Thursday.
The FBI <a href="https://x.com/FBICharlotte/status/2047385012278829223">said</a> that its Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force began investigating the alleged plot on Tuesday evening &#8220;after a tip to a North Carolina law enforcement agency.&#8221;
&#8220;This is an exceptional example of when you see something concerning, you say something to law enforcement,&#8221; the FBI added.
Hicks faces two felony charges of conspiracy to commit murder and felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon. Her bond was set to $10 million, with District Court Judge Carlton Terry saying on Wednesday that Hicks&#8217; detention is necessary to prevent her from getting &#8220;a chance to communicate with either of those [co-conspirators] or those who could relay a message puts lives at risk.&#8221; Hicks&#8217; lawyer said his client&#8217;s young age could be a major factor in her legal defense.
North Carolina prosecutors warned that while the alleged plot highlighted a date two years from now, there was &#8220;some concern that there could be an imminent event&#8221; targeting Congregation Beth Israel.
The arrests come as Jewish Americans face increased threats and just a month after a Muslim man in Michigan rammed his vehicle into the largest Jewish Reform synagogue in the United States in an attack that the Justice Department said was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-synagogue-terrorist-attack-was-directed-by-hezbollah-fbi-says">directed by Hezbollah</a>. Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanese national, was killed after exchanging gunfire with security guards at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. One of the security guards was injured after he was struck by Ghazali’s vehicle, but no one else was harmed in the attack, which occurred near a daycare with dozens of children inside.

Jewish Synagogue/Angelina Han Hicks

Teens Arrested Over Plot To ‘Kill As Many Jews As Possible’ In Major Synagogue Attack

Crime

Houston

North Carolina

Texas

U.S.

British police arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances, with the detention happening at a London court where three males already charged in the case were appearing, prosecutors said on Saturday.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of torching four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola on March 23 while they were parked near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident at the time as a &#8220;deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack.&#8221;
The SITE Intelligence ​website has said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic ​Movement of ⁠the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the incident.
It said the group had been behind similar fires in Europe.
Counter-terrorism officers are heading the investigation in Britain, but as yet the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
A prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service said police believe four people were involved in carrying out the attack itself, with a fourth individual being arrested on Saturday morning as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Metropolitan Police said the fourth suspect was a 19-year-old man who had been arrested by officers at the court while attending the hearing, after officers recognised him as being linked to the attack. He was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and taken into custody.
Three men have been charged with arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Two are British nationals, while the third holds dual British‑Pakistani citizenship.
All three were remanded in custody, with the 17‑year‑old ordered to be held in youth detention accommodation.
Hatzola is a not-for-profit volunteer emergency service that works alongside Britain&#8217;s National Health Service and primarily serves the Orthodox Jewish community.
The London Fire Brigade said explosions from cylinders on the vehicles shattered nearby windows, but no one was injured.
Attacks on Jewish people and Jewish targets have risen in Britain since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, according to police and community groups.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Joe Bavier and Toby Chopra)

U.K. Police Arrest Fourth Suspect Over Attack On Jewish Ambulances

Radical Islam

Terrorism

U.K.

World

Newly released photos show the extent of destruction inside Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, following last week&#8217;s Hezbollah-linked terrorist attack.
Images obtained by The Daily Wire and released by the synagogue capture a burned-out truck lodged at the end of a hallway, debris scattered across the floor, and sprinkler water pooling around a child’s red tricycle.
The attack occurred last Thursday when 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel and opened fire before committing suicide when confronted by security. Authorities say the vehicle ignited after the crash, causing extensive damage and <a href="https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/a-truck-rammed-a-michigan-synagogue-with-more-than-a-hundred-children-inside-here-s/article_c50e2347-3b5f-552e-bcb6-c2f58785a54f.html">resulting in</a> 63 first responders needing treatment for smoke inhalation. 
The attack took place while the synagogue’s preschool was in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mentally-unstable-ex-wife-warned-police-within-minutes-of-temple-israel-terrorist-attack?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Mentally+Unstable%E2%80%99%3A+Ex-Wife+Warned+Police+Within+Minutes+Of+Temple+Israel+Terrorist+Attack">session</a>, but all 140 children and staff were safely evacuated without injury.
<div id="attachment_1063135" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1063135" class="size-large wp-image-1063135" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Bebas-Neue-3-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Bebas-Neue-3-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Bebas-Neue-3-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Bebas-Neue-3-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Bebas-Neue-3.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />(Temple Israel, West Bloomfield, Michigan)</div>
Large quantities of fireworks and gasoline containers that were ignited were recovered from his truck.
Additional images show charred hallways, broken glass, burnt photos, and destroyed ceilings. One preschool classroom appears frozen in time, with snacks still laid out on tables, underscoring how suddenly the attack unfolded while young children were inside.
In a statement, the synagogue said it chose to release the photos to “take back control of our narrative.”
<div id="attachment_1063139" style="width: 886px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1063139" class="size-large wp-image-1063139" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/653713026_921736420465178_5230362133539875900_n-876x576.jpg" alt="" width="876" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/653713026_921736420465178_5230362133539875900_n-876x576.jpg 876w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/653713026_921736420465178_5230362133539875900_n-300x197.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/653713026_921736420465178_5230362133539875900_n-768x505.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/653713026_921736420465178_5230362133539875900_n-1536x1010.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/653713026_921736420465178_5230362133539875900_n.jpg 1770w" sizes=" (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px" />(Temple Israel, West Bloomfield, Michigan)</div>
“We have chosen thus far not to make public photos of the devastation of our building,” the synagogue said. “This week, several videos and photos have made their way into the media, which have caused considerable harm to the survivors of last week&#8217;s attack.”
It added that its “community deserves to see our building through eyes of love, not through the lens of spectacle.”
“This is our sacred space, and we will be the ones to tell its story,” Temple Israel said.
According to the Israel Defense Forces and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Ghazali had family members in Lebanon connected to the U.S.-designated terror group Hezbollah. 
Ghazali, a naturalized American citizen originally from Lebanon, was reportedly described as “mentally unstable” by his ex-wife. She said he had been distressed following the deaths of family members in an Israeli airstrike.

Temple Israel

New Photos Reveal Devastation Inside Michigan Synagogue After Hezbollah-Linked Terror Attack

Hezbollah

A controversial Maine Democrat already dogged by questions over a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol is again under fire after promoting an openly antisemitic conspiracy theorist — the latest episode in a pattern critics say underscores how radical and politically toxic he is.
Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Senate candidate seeking the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Susan Collins (R-ME), faced backlash this week after amplifying a social media post about a looming war with Iran from Stew Peters, a neo-Nazi influencer known for Holocaust denial and antisemitic rhetoric. Platner <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/02/26/politics/elections/graham-platner-stew-peters-post/">later deleted</a> the post, with his campaign claiming it was shared “in error” and removed immediately after discovering it elevated a “despicable account.”
But the incident was not isolated.
In late January, Platner <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/platner-sat-lengthy-interview-antisemitic-075439570.html">appeared</a> for an hour-long interview on Valhalla VFT, a YouTube show hosted by Nate Cornacchia, a retired Green Beret who has promoted conspiracy theories alleging Israeli involvement in high-profile assassinations and suggesting the global war on terror was conducted at the “behest of Israel.” During the interview, Platner described himself as “a longtime fan” of the show and said it was “an absolute pleasure” to appear.
Cornacchia has pushed claims tying Israel to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and agreed with assertions that President John F. Kennedy was “probably” killed in a covert joint operation between the CIA and Mossad. Platner’s campaign did not respond to Jewish Insider&#8217;s questions about Cornacchia’s remarks.
The controversy compounds scrutiny Platner has faced since last year over a tattoo on his chest that closely resembled a Totenkopf, the skull-and-crossbones emblem adopted by an infamous Nazi SS unit. Platner <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-10-22/democratic-senate-hopeful-graham-platner-gets-tattoo-of-nazi-symbol-covered-up">said</a> he received the tattoo while serving in the Marine Corps during a drunken night in Croatia and claimed he was unaware of its historical meaning at the time. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-platner-senate-trump-mills-tattoo-collins-fa8328a3c8aa5d5e0f34adb379e977b8">Associated Press</a> later confirmed that he had the tattoo covered once the comparison became public, saying he did not want a symbol associated with hate on his body.
“For what it’s worth,” Maine Governor Janet Mills, who’s running against Platner in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat, quipped on <a href="https://x.com/JanetMillsforME/status/2027421147956969915">X</a> amid the controversy, “I don’t have any tattoos.”
In past posts, Platner has described U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East as being overly shaped by “foreign influence,” and has argued that Washington’s alliance structure requires “fundamental rethinking.” Critics say such rhetoric mirrors themes common in online spaces where antisemitic conspiracy theories flourish.
National Republicans have begun to take notice. A spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee blasted Platner this week, saying Democrats are “flirting with extremism” in a race they view as central to their hopes of regaining Senate control. Allies of Collins have also circulated screenshots of Platner’s deleted posts, arguing they raise serious questions about his judgment.
The Democratic primary race in Maine is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the cycle. Democrats view the seat held by moderate Republican Collins as a key pickup opportunity. But Platner’s growing list of controversies, from boosting a neo-Nazi influencer to praising a YouTube host who traffics in antisemitic conspiracies, to the lingering fallout over his tattoo, threatens to complicate that strategy.

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