Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed drew fresh scrutiny this week after comments he made during a “60 Minutes” interview about whether Israel has a right to exist, just days before Michigan voters decide a closely watched race against Republican Mike Rogers.
In the interview, correspondent Ross Douthat asked El-Sayed whether Palestine has a right to exist. El-Sayed answered yes without qualification. When Douthat followed up by asking whether Israel has a right to exist, El-Sayed responded, “Yes, if there is a shared understanding…”
Douthat pressed him on the apparent inconsistency, saying, “Wait, but you said…” El-Sayed interjected before he could finish and explained his position further.
“I believe we start from where we sit, rather than start from principles…If the Palestinian people decide, and the Israeli people decide that they want two states for two people, and they decide that on equal terms, I’m for it. If they decide that they want one state shared in a different way, I’m for that.”
The same interview included a separate exchange in which El-Sayed was asked about men being present in girls’ locker rooms. He said it was acceptable, explaining that young people “are going to find out about it on the internet anyway.”
The comments come at a difficult moment for El-Sayed’s campaign. Polls suggest a tight contest against Rogers heading into the final stretch. Rep. Haley Stevens, who ran against El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, has since endorsed Rogers, the Republican nominee, rather than her former primary rival.
El-Sayed’s campaign has not issued additional comment beyond what was said in the “60 Minutes” interview. The race between El-Sayed and Rogers is one of several competitive Senate contests this cycle that could affect the partisan balance of the chamber.
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