Fresh off his projected victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, Abdul El-Sayed reaffirmed his sharply critical views of Israel during a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” describing the Jewish state as “bloodthirsty” and arguing that the issues he sees with Israel extend well beyond the leadership of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Asked whether his criticism was directed primarily at Netanyahu’s government, El-Sayed responded that his objections go much deeper.

“I think we’ve seen the worst of what the Israeli government has done [under Netanyahu] but don’t forget that we’ve been talking about an illegal apartheid regime for a very, very long time, and that supersedes Netanyahu himself,” El-Sayed said.

He continued by accusing Israel of becoming increasingly aggressive under Netanyahu’s leadership while criticizing continued American military support.

“I understand that Netanyahu is a big reason why they’ve gotten so aggressive and frankly so bloodthirsty under his reign, but I also understand that it’s impossible for us to say we want a two-state solution while we’ve been aiding, arming and abetting the very people who have been trying to foreclose on the possibility of a Palestinian state,” he continued.

El-Sayed also argued that U.S. foreign policy should hold allies to the same standards it applies elsewhere, alleging that Israel has violated international law.

He said the United States should “hold foreign actors accountable to international law,” claiming Israel has “conducted a genocide, has at baseline done apartheid and has taken us into a war we have no business fighting. So why, of course, are we sending money to that country to fund their military?”

Discussing U.S. military assistance, El-Sayed said he opposes providing unconditional military aid not only to Israel but to other countries as well, including Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. He noted that his family emigrated from Egypt.

El-Sayed also addressed Jewish voters who supported his primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, because of concerns over his views on Israel, insisting that he remains committed to fighting antisemitism.

“The Democratic nominee said his message to Jewish voters who backed his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) because of his message on Israel, is that his ‘commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids. We have a responsibility to take on antisemitism in all of its forms wherever we see it. It’s the same responsibility we have to take on Islamophobia. … So the things that bring us together are so much bigger than the things that divide us.’”

{Matzav.com}