Michigan Rabbis Demand Security Guarantees for Jewish Delegates at Democratic Convention

Approximately 200 rabbis and Jewish figures have petitioned Curtis Hertel Jr., chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, demanding security guarantees for all Jewish delegates at the party's upcoming convention. The petition highlights growing concerns regarding antisemitism within the state's Democratic coalition. The signatories have requested that the party chair publicly announce that anyone who harasses, pursues, or shouts at Jewish delegates will be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. They warned that if Jewish individuals, including the state's highest-ranking Jewish official, are forced to withdraw due to intimidation, the trend will continue. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, announced recently that she would not attend the 29 August convention due to fears of being targeted. The petition was organised by Rafael Medoff, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, and includes signatories such as Rabbi Ethan Tucker, president of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, and historian Gil Troy. While the letter does not name Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, local Jewish Democrats have expressed concerns regarding his stance on Israel and his response to a March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. El-Sayed, a former county health official, stated in his victory speech last week that his commitment to Jewish safety is equal to his commitment to his own daughters. However, Jewish leaders remain unconvinced. Haley Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, stated that tolerance for antisemitism within Democratic circles must end and called on El-Sayed to take clear action to support Nessel and other Jewish Democrats. According to a 2020 Brandeis University study, there are over 100,000 Jews in Michigan, two-thirds of whom identify as Democrats. The Michigan Jewish Democratic Caucus has urged El-Sayed’s campaign to reject discourse that demonises Jewish civic identity. Nessel has previously been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists over her attempts to prosecute protesters at the University of Michigan. Tensions were also reported at the party's April convention, where attendees booed Representative Haley Stevens and some reportedly made antisemitic remarks regarding the Jewish husband of state senator Mallory McMorrow.