Tension remains after bitter primary as Rep. Haley Stevens again criticizes El-Sayed
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) reiterated her criticism of Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a lengthy statement on Friday that rehashes the Democratic rivals’ fierce divisions on Israel ahead of Election Day.
Stevens, who narrowly lost the primary to El-Sayed in August, appeared to downplay the significance of her agreeing to appear at a Black church with El-Sayed and Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-South Carolina) in Detroit on Sunday. She said Clyburn asked her to attend, and she was “honored” to go to church with him.
She said she only agreed to appear alongside El-Sayed because she believes he plans to condemn an outside group’s ad that is critical of Israel. El-Sayed previously distanced himself from the ad, which was created by Rebellion PAC, not his campaign, and features grocery shoppers complaining that prices are high due to U.S. support for Israel.
Stevens wrote that “emissaries” within the Democratic party have informed her that El-Sayed has “heard the deep concerns of the Jewish community and is now, for the first time in this campaign, formally condemning that ad for what it is.” Stevens urged the media to press El-Sayed for a condemnation, and also said she expects El-Sayed to apologize for his own rhetoric that she said has linked U.S. military support for Israel to higher prices in the United States.
“A disclaimer is not a condemnation, and everyone in my community knows the difference,” Stevens wrote.
Stevens also said she expects El-Sayed to take down an ad in which he quotes right wing pundit Tucker Carlson criticizing Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
The joint appearance was announced after Stevens’s fiancé said he would vote for Rogers in the Senate race earlier this week, criticizing El-Sayed’s stance on Israel as posing dangers for American Jews.
An El-Sayed spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
