# El-Sayed Disinvites Stevens Amid Democratic Rift Over Israel Ad

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/el-sayed-disinvites-stevens-amid-democratic-rift-over-israel-ad
- Published: 2026-11-01T14:02:38.024340+00:00
- Topics: michigan-senate-race, democratic-party, israel, antisemitism, 2026-midterms

## What the left says
- El-Sayed views Stevens's renewed criticism just days before the election as an attempt to relitigate a primary that ended three months ago rather than focus on defeating Republican Mike Rogers.
- El-Sayed's campaign denies any affiliation with the Rebellion PAC ad and argues it should not be held responsible for an outside group's messaging.
- Party unity efforts led by Clyburn and Dingell show national Democrats trying to bridge the divide, with the invitation to Stevens reportedly still standing despite the campaign-level dispute.
- El-Sayed supporters see the ad controversy as a distraction from substantive policy differences over government spending priorities, not an attack on Jewish people.

## What the right says
- Stevens and other critics say the Rebellion PAC ad crudely ties Jewish lives and U.S. aid to Israel to rising domestic costs, calling it antisemitic in substance regardless of who produced it.
- Stevens has demanded El-Sayed apologize for past comments suggesting Israel is to blame for Michigan's inability to afford schools, health care, and child care.
- The dispute highlights a broader concern about rising antisemitic rhetoric within progressive Democratic politics tied to Israel criticism.
- El-Sayed's decision to sideline a prominent, more moderate Democrat days before a critical Senate election risks alienating centrist voters and weakening the party's chances against Rogers.

## Common ground
- Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after losing the August primary and the two had largely avoided joint campaign appearances since.
- Both sides acknowledge the Rebellion PAC produced the contested ad, and El-Sayed's campaign has stated it was not involved in creating it.
- National Democratic figures including Clyburn and Dingell attempted to broker a joint appearance between the two candidates.
- The public rift is occurring days before a closely contested Michigan Senate race that could affect control of the Senate.

## Sources
- [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/31/this-is-not-abduls-event-clyburn-adviser-pushes-back-after-el-sayed-campaign-seeks-to-exclude-stevens/) (Right)
- [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-haley-stevens-feud-michigan-senate/) (Lean Left)
- [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/michigan-senate-democrat-candidate-abdul-el-sayed-disinvites-haley?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right)
- [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/politics/michigan-democrats-sayed/2026/10/31/id/1274679) (Right)
- [Politico](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/30/el-sayed-stevens-senate-race-fight-01144423) (Lean Left)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6186206-el-sayed-disinvites-stevens/) (Center)

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