Abdul Rahman Al-Sayed: I am committed to protecting the Jewish community as much as I am committed to protecting my children

Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyid, the Democratic Senator-elect from the US state of Michigan, responded to voters who refrained from supporting him because of his position on Israel, stressing his commitment to ensuring the safety of the Jewish community.

Al-Sayed told CNN: “I call for love and reject hate. I fully understand what it means to be demonized because of the way you worship. I aspire for the state of Michigan to be a place where no one feels such discrimination, where parents can drive their children to their schools or to the synagogue, confident that their children will return home safely, and that they will be respected within their community. This is a goal that we can all work toward together.”

He added: "One can love, appreciate and respect Palestinian children, and at the same time love, appreciate and respect Jewish children. Indeed, I believe that doing both is necessary. So, in terms of Jewish safety, my commitment to protecting the Jewish community is exactly the same as my commitment to protecting my own children."

Al-Sayed noted that some voters' dissatisfaction with him stems mostly from his position on Israel. He made clear that criticizing the use of American taxpayer money to fund Israel is in no way inconsistent with supporting the safety of Jewish communities.

“I will not back down from raising the question of whether our taxpayer dollars should be used to support genocide, apartheid, or war,” El-Sayed said. “I believe we must clearly distinguish between the safety and security of the Jewish community in Michigan and across the United States, and our foreign policy approach to the Israeli government.”

Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyid made history as the first Muslim to be elected to the US Senate.