Michigan Jewish leaders launched a petition Tuesday outlining five principles they say candidates must support to earn their backing in the November Senate election. Although the petition does not name directly name Abdul El-Sayed, it is widely viewed as a direct challenge to the Democratic nominee as he attempts to rebuild support among Jewish voters.

The petition calls for support of Jewish sovereignty in Israel, a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and full participation by Jewish Americans in political life. It also rejects arguments that would return Jews to “statelessness and powerlessness,” which the petition describes as a position many Jews view as genocidal.

The demands come after months of controversy surrounding El-Sayed’s positions on Israel and his statements about antisemitism. El-Sayed defeated Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens in the Aug. 4 primary and will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Sen. Gary Peters.

One of the central issues is El-Sayed’s refusal to endorse the continued existence of Israel as a majority-Jewish state. When asked about the issue previously, El-Sayed said he does not “believe in ethno-states.” Jewish leaders have argued that his position leaves them concerned about Israel’s security and the future of Jewish self-determination.

El-Sayed has also faced criticism over his response to a March attack targeting Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. After initially condemning the attack, he later discussed the attacker’s family members being killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon and said, “Hurt people hurt people.”

The comments drew criticism from Jewish voters who argued that bringing up Israel's actions while discussing an attack on a synagogue was inappropriate. El-Sayed later apologized to Michigan's Jewish Democratic Caucus, saying, “I made a mistake,” and acknowledged that his attempt to provide context should not have been part of his initial response.

The controversy has contributed to an increasingly difficult relationship between El-Sayed and some Jewish Democrats. Rabbi Asher Lopatin, who has traditionally voted Democratic, has publicly supported Rogers and cited El-Sayed’s comments about the Temple Israel attack and his positions on Israel as reasons for his decision.

The issue has also become part of the Republican campaign against El-Sayed. Vice President JD Vance has criticized the Democratic nominee while campaigning for Rogers and met with representatives of Temple Israel during a recent Michigan visit. Vance described the synagogue attack as an antisemitic terrorist attack and used El-Sayed’s response to contrast the two candidates.

El-Sayed has increased his outreach to Jewish voters since winning the contentious primary, including meeting with Michigan Jewish Democrats and apologizing for his earlier remarks. But the new petition demonstrates that some Jewish leaders continue to seek explicit commitments from him on Israel, Jewish safety, and the political participation of Jewish Americans as the Senate campaign moves toward November.