Fresh off his Democratic primary victory in Michigan’s Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed reaffirmed his belief that Hamas committed war crimes while also accusing Israel of carrying out war crimes and genocide in Gaza. The remarks, made during a recent interview, come as President Donald Trump intensifies his attacks on the progressive nominee ahead of the general election.
Speaking on The Jim Acosta Show, El-Sayed was asked to clarify his position on the Israel-Hamas war. He began by reiterating that he has consistently denounced Hamas, saying, “I condemned Hamas on day one, right? I think they’re wrong. I think they committed war crimes. That’s not hard to say.”
Abdul El-Sayed on Hamas:
I condemned Hamas on day one, right? I think they’re wrong.
I think they committed war crimes. That’s not hard to say.
I just don’t know why it’s also not hard to say that, in response, the Israeli government also committed war crimes, including… pic.twitter.com/LPMtQpS64f
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 10, 2026
He then shifted his focus to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, arguing that the same standard should apply to Israel’s conduct. “I just don’t know why it’s also not hard to say that in response, the Israeli government also committed war crimes, including genocide.”
El-Sayed framed the debate as one centered on how American taxpayer dollars should be spent, arguing that Washington should prioritize domestic needs instead of funding overseas conflicts.
“The question for us is ultimately about where we use our tax dollars. That is the political question,” he argued, continuing, “I think people like to get involved in this big, long question of what’s good for Israel or how we ought to be engaged in a conflict. My point is that our job is not to give money to make the conflict worse. Our job is to use our money here. And I believe that it is up to a free Palestinian people and free Jewish Israeli people to decide what the ultimate peace ought to look like.”
Continuing that argument, El-Sayed said he believes federal spending should be directed toward improving life in the United States rather than supporting military operations abroad.
“I just know that right now, our tax dollars are making it far worse. And I don’t want our money that could be used to make education and opportunity better for our people to be used to make life worse for other people.”
El-Sayed captured the Democratic nomination for the Michigan Senate seat last week after narrowly defeating moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, a closely watched contest viewed by many as a test of the Democratic Party’s ideological direction.
Throughout the primary campaign, El-Sayed faced criticism over his positions on Israel. That scrutiny intensified after a terrorist attempted to bomb and open fire on a Jewish preschool located at a Michigan synagogue earlier this year, when El-Sayed responded by saying that “hurt people hurt people.”
His campaign prominently featured opposition to continued US military aid to Israel and harsh criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza. He has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide, called for ending unconditional American assistance, and previously said in an interview that the Israeli government is “as evil as Hamas.”
Following El-Sayed’s primary victory, President Donald Trump launched a series of blistering attacks against the Democratic nominee during an appearance in Nevada.
“When I watch Abdul, he’s full of [garbage],” Trump stated during a Wednesday event in Nevada, describing El-Sayed as a “man of hate” and alleging that he harbors hostility toward Jewish people.
“He’s a communist. And the polls were wrong again last night when they thought it would be a landslide victory for a hater of Jews and a hater of Israel,” Trump declared.
Trump continued his criticism by expanding on those accusations, saying, “This guy hates Jews. Somebody said, ‘Oh, that’s a little strong’. No, he hates Jews and he hates Israel…He’s a man of hate. And now he’s going around saying, ‘No, I love everybody.’ He doesn’t love everybody. Put him in office. You’re going to find out what he loves.”
The president also claimed that El-Sayed’s views toward Israel and the Jewish community were deeply rooted.
Trump further asserted that the primary victor “doesn’t love Israel. He doesn’t love Jewish people. He hates them. He hates them with a passion that burns in his heart.”
Looking ahead to November, Trump predicted that Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers would prevail in the general election, expressing confidence that Rogers would emerge victorious.
“Actually, we do better against the communists, according to every poll. The poll says we do better against the communists. So he won. And so I think I’m happy. I put out a statement: Congratulations to the Republican Party.”
{Matzav.com}