On the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, sent a fundraising email to supporters that criticized Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza while ignoring the Hamas attack that precipitated it.

“Two years ago this month, Netanyahu’s military launched a ground invasion of Gaza,” the email begins. It does not mention Hamas, the Oct. 7 attacks or the ongoing hostage situation in any capacity, despite the date on which it was sent and the fact that the Israeli invasion of Gaza took place weeks after Oct. 7.

The email goes on to blame pro-Israel financial support to politicians for the continuation of the war.

“It has continued because politicians in both parties have chosen to send billions of our tax dollars to fund this senseless war — instead of demanding an immediate ceasefire,” the email continues. “And If you’re asking yourself, “Why on Earth are politicians in Washington continuing to add fuel to the fire?” the answer is money. AIPAC is funneling millions into campaigns in exchange for loyalty.”

El-Sayed issued a separate statement from his campaign account earlier in the day.

“All children deserve lives unburdened by hate, war, guns, bombs, kidnapping, or murder. All people deserve equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination,” the statement reads. “Hamas violated these principles in its heinous attack on October 7th. They killed 1,200 people and took dozens of hostages, many of whom have yet to be released. I condemned it then, and I condemn it now.”

The statement goes on to condemn Israel for committing “genocide on Gaza with our tax dollars” and demand that “international law must be enforced and those who have broken it must be brought to justice. And our government must stop sending blank checks to foreign militaries who violate it.”

An El-Sayed spokesperson said Wednesday that the Tuesday email “mistakenly went out yesterday” and that El-Sayed “has been clear and consistent: he holds equally valuable the lives of all innocent people and condemns violence against them.”

Michigan state Rep. Noah Arbit, a Jewish Democrat, said that the comments were “repugnant.”

“Abdul El-Sayed has demonstrated that he has a complete disregard not only for Israeli lives but for Jewish life, and completely disqualified himself from serving as U.S. Senator for MI. As a State Representative, I call on Michiganders to reject this bigoted campaign,” he said. “Fundraising off the anniversary of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, while 48 Jews are still captive in the bowels of hell in Gaza is akin to dancing in the gas chambers of Auschwitz.”

Arbit demanded an “an unconditional, immediate apology” to Michigan’s Jewish community. He said that the campaign’s assertion that the email had gone out mistakenly was insufficient.

“Mistakenly, but not accidentally,” he said Wednesday. “[El Sayed] owes an apology to Michigan’s Jewish community. This has nothing to do with legitimate criticisms of a country’s government or military and everything to do with dancing on the anniversary of a massacre.

El-Sayed is running in a hotly-contested Democratic primary for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). He is facing Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), the favorite of party leaders who has been a supporter of Israel and outspoken voice against antisemitism during her Congressional career. 

Also running is state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who has sounded increasingly hostile towards the Jewish state as her campaign has progressed. On Monday, she said she considered Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide” — comments her campaign immediately promoted to Politico.

McMorrow condemned El-Sayed’s fundraising email.

“To send a fundraising pitch on October 7th without mentioning, much less condemning, Hamas and their horrific terrorist attack is beyond tone deaf,” McMorrow said. “It is fair to be critical of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza. I have been. But sending a fundraising email on the two year anniversary that completely ignores the atrocities committed by Hamas was wrong and brings us no closer to a goal we all should share: releasing the hostages and ending the violence.”

Republicans view the Michigan Senate race as one of their top pickup opportunities, and have coalesced behind former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in last year’s Senate contest.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded to the news by saying, “Abdul El-Sayed doesn’t just oppose Chuck Schumer as Senate Democrats’ leader, he opposes Schumer’s right to exist,” presumably referring to the fact that Schumer is Jewish.