Muslim Brotherhood publication celebrates Abdul El-Sayed primary victory

The attention from the Brotherhood-linked outlet is likely to intensify scrutiny of El-Sayed’s foreign-policy views as he prepares for the November general election against Republican nominee Mike Rogers.

By Corey Walker, The Algemeiner

A Muslim Brotherhood-linked publication celebrated Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary last week, highlighting the candidate’s opposition to unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel and hailing his political ascendance as a setback for “Zionists.”

The article, published by Ikhwan Online, an outlet tied to the terrorist group, described El-Sayed’s victory over Rep. Haley Stevens as a setback for what it called “the Zionist occupation.”

The publication’s X account describes Ikhwan Online as the “Muslim Brotherhood official website,” according to a report published by The Midwesterner and subsequently highlighted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“During his election campaign, (El-Sayed) focused on calling for the cessation of unconditional U.S. military aid to the Zionist occupation, criticizing the continued U.S. support in the war on the Gaza [Strip] and demanding that taxpayers’ money be redirected to domestic issues,” the article reads.

“The primary elections highlighted the escalation of the division within the Democratic Party on the US policy towards the occupation, in light of the growing influence of the Progressive Current, which demands a reconsideration of US military support, in exchange for the continuation of the traditional current in adopting positions in support of the occupation,” the article continues.

The attention from the Brotherhood-linked outlet is likely to intensify scrutiny of El-Sayed’s foreign-policy views as he prepares for the November general election against Republican nominee Mike Rogers.

El-Sayed, a Detroit-born physician, quickly established himself as the most anti-Israel candidate in the primary competition.

He has accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, called it a “rogue state,” and argued that its government and the Hamas terrorist organization are both “evil.”

He has also questioned US support for maintaining Israel as a specifically Jewish state, stating that there is no interpretation of a Jewish state that can be compatible with liberal values.

He also sparked anger by asserting that the only reason a Democrat could support Israel is because of money, and that it is impossible for a Democrat to support Israel and believe in “human rights.”

He has also called for the complete elimination of aid to Israel. The Ikhwan Online article specifically praised his calls to end unconditional U.S. military aid and redirect American taxpayer dollars toward domestic priorities.

El-Sayed emerged victorious over his rival, Rep. Haley Stevens, by a margin of roughly one point.

Alleged potential ties between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood have become a point of discussion and contention within conservative political circles in recent days amid the progressive’s meteoric rise.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, raised El-Sayed’s candidacy during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing examining alleged Muslim Brotherhood networks in the United States.

Cruz questioned witnesses about El-Sayed, citing family relationships and organizational associations that he said warranted scrutiny.

A counterterrorism analyst who testified at the hearing, Kyle Shideler of the Center for Security Policy, also raised concerns about alleged connections involving El-Sayed’s family and organizations that Shideler described as Brotherhood-linked.

El-Sayed has rejected such attacks as political smears.

No evidence was presented that El-Sayed himself engaged in criminal conduct or provided material support to terrorism.

However, critics point out that El-Sayed maintains close ties to those with potential connections to terror organizations.

Reporting from the Washington Free Beacon alleges that El-Sayed’s father in law, Tayeb Jukaku, serves on the board of the Council of American-Islamic Relations Michigan chapter and donated $300,000 to his campaign.

CAIR was named as a co-conspirator in the USA v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development lawsuit.

Politico noted in 2010 that “US District Court Judge Jorge Solis found that the government presented ‘ample evidence to establish the association’” of CAIR with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), “some of CAIR’s current leadership had early connections with organizations that are or were affiliated with Hamas.”

El-Sayed’s political ascendance comes as the Democratic Party has soured on Israel. A commanding majority of Democrats believe that Israel has committed a so-called “genocide” in Gaza and a staggering majority express more “sympathy” with Palestinians over Israelis.

Consequently, Democratic lawmakers have started to distance themselves from Israel, announcing that they will no longer collaborate with AIPAC and voting against aid packages to Israel in larger numbers.

For supporters of Israel, El-Sayed’s primary victory therefore represents more than the nomination of another progressive Democrat.

It potentially signals the emergence of a senator who would be fundamentally hostile towards Israel’s right to self-defense and existence as a Jewish state.

The November contest between El-Sayed and Rogers is therefore poised to become an important test not only of Michigan’s political landscape, but also of how far the Democratic Party’s shift on Israel has progressed.

As El-Sayed moves ahead to the general election against staunch Conservative Republican Mike Rogers, CNN election analyst Harry Enten suggested that his soft performance among black, rural, and working class voters might foreshadow a rough election night for the progressive insurgent.

He noted that El-Sayed performed “very poorly” among regions of the state that are defined by populations which are disproportionately black, lower-income, or sparsely populated.

Recent polling showed El-Sayed trailing Rogers by a narrow margin in a hypothetical general election showdown with Rogers.

Far-left candidates have struggled in statewide races, competitions which usually require appeal across large segments of the electorate.

Further, unlike El-Sayed, Rogers has taken a firmly pro-Israel position in the race and has criticized the growing anti-Israel sentiment in fringes of the GOP.

“You don’t have to love Israel, but you have to respect the fact that the nation is trying to defend itself and its people who have maybe, probably, the most horrific history of being treated in the world of any other race on planet earth,” he said.

Abdul El-SayedelectionsMuslim BrotherhoodSenate