Egyptian-born doctor Abdul El-Sayed, who won the Democratic Party's Senate primary in the US state of Michigan, caused wide repercussions in Israeli media. The Hebrew press assessed this result as a heavy blow to pro-Israel forces and a sign of the growing influence of the party's progressive wing.
Channel 14, known for its closeness to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, described El-Sayed's victory as a significant achievement of the "hardline progressive wing." The channel emphasized that one of the main pillars of El-Sayed's campaign was a call to halt US military aid to Israel.
According to Channel 14, El-Sayed defeated Congresswoman Hailey Stevens, who was backed by the Democratic Party establishment and pro-Israel organizations. This race turned into a test of the conflict between the party's moderate and progressive wings, especially over Israel.
While it was noted that Stevens received tens of millions of dollars in financial support from pro-Israel groups, it was recorded that El-Sayed will face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the November midterm elections. Channel 14 suggested that the results could affect the future of the Democratic Party and spark a broad debate about the growing influence of the Israel-critical movement ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.
The Yisrael Hayom newspaper described El-Sayed's victory as a "major win" for the progressive wing and a "resounding blow" to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The newspaper wrote that AIPAC's political arm, the United Democracy Project, spent over $30 million to support his opponent and defeat El-Sayed.
Yisrael Hayom noted that if El-Sayed wins the November elections, he would become the first Muslim to represent a state in the US Senate. The newspaper reported that El-Sayed called for halting military aid to Israel, accused Israel of "genocide" and "apartheid," and also described Prime Minister Netanyahu as a "war criminal."
Israel has continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip with US support since October 7, 2023. According to Palestinian data, more than 73,000 people, mostly children and women, have been killed, over 174,000 injured, and about 90 percent of the infrastructure destroyed.
Yisrael Hayom stressed that the significance of El-Sayed's victory went beyond the wins of progressive candidates in other states, because it was achieved in a politically swing state like Michigan. It was commented that this reflects the growing influence of the progressive movement and that Israel-critical stances are no longer seen as a liability in elections.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper described Abdul El-Sayed as the "Muslim Obama." The newspaper wrote that despite its local nature, the race between El-Sayed and Stevens was seen as an indicator testing the direction of the Democratic Party in upcoming elections, especially the congressional midterms.
Yedioth Ahronoth pointed out that this result came after a series of victories by progressive candidates who challenge the traditional Democratic Party establishment and adopt tougher stances against Israel.
The Haaretz newspaper noted that total spending supporting Stevens reached $60 million, with more than $30 million coming from AIPAC, and described the race as "the most expensive primary in US history."
The Israel Broadcasting Corporation stated that the results show the competition between the moderate and progressive wings within the Democratic Party over Israel is heating up. The corporation assessed that if El-Sayed is elected in November, he could influence the Senate's stance on issues related to Tel Aviv.
The 41-year-old Abdul El-Sayed was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, to an Egyptian immigrant family. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he studied medicine at Columbia University and later earned a doctorate from Oxford University. El-Sayed ran in the Democratic primary for Michigan governor in 2018 but lost to Gretchen Whitmer. He later emerged as a leading figure in the party's progressive wing.
