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Michigan Democratic Senate Candidate El-Sayed Apologizes for Synagogue Attack Comments

Confirmed1 source · Aug 30, 2026

Abdul El-Sayed apologized to Michigan's Jewish Democratic Caucus for remarks linking a March synagogue attack to Israeli actions in the Middle East.

Michigan Democratic Senate Candidate El-Sayed Apologizes for Synagogue Attack Comments
Image via The Guardian

What happened

Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan's Democratic US Senate candidate, apologized on Saturday to the state's Jewish Democratic Caucus for comments made after a March attack on Temple Israel synagogue in a Detroit suburb. The attacker, Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, rammed his car into the building and opened fire on a security guard before dying by suicide; Ghazali had lost four relatives in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon the week prior. In a video response at the time, El-Sayed condemned the attack but added "hurt people hurt people," referencing what happened to Ghazali's family. Critics accused El-Sayed of justifying the attacker's actions. On Saturday, El-Sayed stated he was "trying to offer context for why it happened, but it wasn't the time for context" and apologized to anyone who felt his comments were hurtful.

Context

El-Sayed is seeking to unify Democrats after a contentious primary victory over US House member Haley Stevens and faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers in a race that will help determine Senate control after the midterms in November. The apology represents his latest effort to move past a series of controversies involving allegations of antisemitism, including his association with controversial commentator Hasan Piker. His ability to rebuild trust with Michigan's Jewish Democratic voters is significant in a competitive statewide race.