Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drew a sharp distinction between congressional Democrats and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, directly condemning his refusal to endorse Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state as “wrong.”
The California Democrat delivered these remarks during an appearance on Donny Deutsch’s “On Brand” podcast, where the conversation centered on antisemitism and the nature of political rhetoric within the Democratic Party.
The exchange was initiated when Deutsch raised concerns about statements questioning Israel’s status. “Yeah, when you say Israel doesn’t have the right to be a Jewish state, that’s anti-semitic as far as I’m concerned,” Deutsch said.
Pelosi challenged the notion that sitting lawmakers held such a position, asking, “Who says that?”
Deutsch directed the conversation beyond Capitol Hill, citing New York political figure Zohran Mamdani and El-Sayed, who is currently seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.
“I’m talking about Congress,” Pelosi replied. “I can’t account for a Democrat ,”
Deutsch pressed further: “El-Sayed has said that. That he doesn’t believe that they should be a Jewish state. That’s concerning.”
Pelosi responded without hesitation.
“Yeah, no, it’s more than concerning. It’s wrong,” Pelosi said.
When Deutsch expressed agreement, Pelosi continued, making clear that she considers such views an outlier among federal lawmakers.
“It’s wrong, and it isn’t a reflection of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States,” Pelosi said. “This new person in Michigan will see if he gets elected to Congress, but the mayor, bless his heart, I hope he succeeds as mayor, but I don’t agree with some of the things he has said.”
El-Sayed, who previously served as director of the Detroit Health Department, is actively campaigning for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. Pelosi, who led House Democrats for two decades and continues to represent San Francisco, emphasized that the official party consensus on Capitol Hill remains firmly and consistently supportive of Israel.
Leave a Reply