The Beinart Notebook

The Beinart Notebook

Announcements

AIPAC Versus Abdul El-Sayed

The would-be Senator from Michigan on his non-candidate opponents

May 14, 2026
∙ Paid

This week’s Zoom call will be at our regular time, Friday at 1 PM Eastern.

Our guest will be Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate for Senate in Michigan, whose Democratic primary has become the most hotly contested in the nation. El-Sayed has been attacked for saying that both Israel and Hamas have acted in evil ways, for campaigning with Hasan Piker and for calling Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal. He recently declared that “AIPAC and Israel are not the same as Judaism and the Jewish people” and that “The most dangerous thing they’ve tried to do is extend the definition of antisemitism to include a foreign government.” We’ll talk about US policy towards Israel, about antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism, about the mood of voters in Michigan and about the state of the Democratic Party. (If El-Sayed’s opponents want to do an interview as well, they’re welcome to be in touch). This conversation will be co-sponsored by Jewish Currents.

Join us.

Share

Zoom link is below for paid subscribers. After the conversation, they’ll get access to the full video and podcast.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Beinart Notebook to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Peter Beinart · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture