In a move that underscores growing concern among Jewish voters in Michigan, a coalition of 17 Democratic leaders and clergy has called on U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed to sign a set of five commitments aimed at protecting the safety and political inclusion of Jewish Michiganders.
Who is behind the demand
The effort is being coordinated by Nonnegotiable Michigan, a newly formed group of clergy and lay leaders whose congregations represent roughly 40,000 Jewish residents across the state. The coalition includes University of Michigan Regent Mark Bernstein, Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus vice‑chair David Kramer, and State Representative Noah Arbit, founder of the caucus.
The five commitments
Nonnegotiable Michigan describes the requests as “baseline commitments” rather than an ultimatum. The five points are:
- Jewish safety, including the safety of Zionist Jews, is non‑negotiable.
- The right of Jews to define their own identities is non‑negotiable.
- Jewish sovereignty in Israel is non‑negotiable.
- The full participation of Jews, including Zionist Jews, in American political life is non‑negotiable.
- An affirmative vision for a better future for the Middle East is non‑negotiable.
The coalition says these commitments are intended to ensure that Jewish Michiganders can engage fully in the Democratic Party without having to abandon core aspects of their faith or heritage.
Why the pressure now
El‑Sayed, a Muslim physician who narrowly won the Democratic primary, has faced criticism from some Jewish leaders for past remarks they describe as anti‑Semitic dog whistles. Rabbi Josh Whinston, a progressive Reform rabbi at Temple Beth Emeth who helped draft the commitments, told The Center Square, “I heard Dr. El‑Sayed use anti‑Semitic language and dog whistles more than I could tolerate. For the safety of my own community, I needed to speak up.”
Despite the coalition’s outreach, El‑Sayed’s campaign has not issued a public response to the requests. The group says it has made multiple attempts to obtain a comment.
Political context
The Senate race pits El‑Sayed against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers. While the contest is shaping up as one of the nation’s most‑watched Senate battles, the Jewish coalition emphasizes that its goal is not to switch party allegiance. “We are not interested in electing Mike Rogers,” Whinston said. “The Democratic Party is our political home, and we want it to be welcoming to Jewish voters.”
Michigan’s Jewish electorate has historically leaned Democratic, with estimates that roughly 70% of American Jews support the party. However, recent surveys suggest a growing sense of political homelessness among some Jewish voters, prompting groups like Nonnegotiable Michigan to seek concrete assurances from candidates.
What comes next
With absentee ballots already being mailed and the election less than a month away, the coalition hopes El‑Sayed will publicly endorse the commitments before the final campaign push. If he does, the group says it will view the gesture as a step toward rebuilding trust with Jewish voters across the state.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
