Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for governor of Michigan, is trying to win over undecided Jewish voters without changing his positions on Israel or distancing himself from some of his more radical allies. During both his primary and general election campaigns, opponents have accused him of being insensitive to Jewish concerns, even suggesting he might be antisemitic. These claims often confuse El-Sayed’s opposition to Zionism — the political ideology that supports the existence of a Jewish state — with hostility toward Jewish people themselves. Recently, two issues have drawn particular attention. One was El-Sayed’s response to an antisemitic attack on a Michigan synagogue in March. A man named Ayman Mohamed Ghazali drove a truck into Temple Israel’s Jewish preschool, injuring several people. El-Sayed condemned the attack, but he also mentioned that Ghazali had recently lost family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. He suggested that “hurt people hurt people,” implying that cycles of violence can be traced to trauma. This statement has drawn criticism from some Jewish voters who felt it minimized the attack. Separately, El-Sayed had campaigned with Hasan Piker, a far-left content creator and streamer, during his primary race. This association upset many Jewish and centrist Democrats in Michigan. In late August, Piker criticized Jeremy Moss, a pro-Israel Jewish Democrat running for Congress, who had not endorsed El-Sayed but was in talks with him about reaching out to Jewish voters. Piker warned that if American Jews continue to emphasize their strong support for Israel, “eventually somebody is going to come around and take action, not against the State of Israel, but against American Jews.” He claimed he was not making a threat, but his comments were seen as inflammatory by some. These incidents have led to renewed calls for El-Sayed to distance himself from Piker and take other steps to reassure Jewish voters of his commitment to their safety. El-Sayed refused to disown Piker, instead defending the right of all Americans to express their beliefs without fear of violence — a stance he said was especially important for communities historically targeted for their beliefs. On Sunday, El-Sayed addressed these concerns at a summit hosted by the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus. He apologized for his remarks following the Temple Israel attack, acknowledging that he should have issued a stronger condemnation. Among those at the summit was Charles Gaba, a healthcare analyst turned major Democratic fundraiser. Gaba, a supporter of Rep. Haley Stevens, has expressed serious reservations about El-Sayed, even as he pledges to vote for him and raise money for his campaign. Gaba outlined four main concerns among undecided Jewish voters in Michigan. Two relate to El-Sayed’s comments on the Temple Israel attack — one of which he addressed by acknowledging the timing of his remarks, but many still find his attempt to contextualize the attack inappropriate. The second concern is El-Sayed’s association with Hasan Piker, which Gaba believes is not helpful for winning a general election. The third issue is the distinction between recognizing Jews’ historical and religious connection to Israel and supporting the idea of a majority Jewish state in the Middle East. Gaba argues that many Jewish voters cannot separate their identity from their connection to Israel. The fourth issue is the broader left’s understanding of antisemitism and Zionism, which Gaba believes is often oversimplified.