Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has accused the Michigan Democratic Party of failing to adequately address antisemitism. Nessel, the state's first Jewish attorney general, stated that the party is permitting members charged with antisemitic acts of vandalism and harassment to attend the upcoming party convention.
Nessel announced she would not attend the convention, scheduled for Aug. 29, due to security concerns. She told MS NOW that she and other Jewish elected officials have faced a constant barrage of antisemitic threats since 2019, predating the Oct. 7 attacks.
"We have five members of the Democratic Party who have been charged with antisemitic acts of vandalism and harassment and threats to other Democratic officials, some of whom are Jewish and including an attack on the Jewish Federation of Detroit," Nessel said. "So those people are still permitted to come to the convention. And it's just baffling to me that while these charges are pending, they're going to be allowed to be there despite, you know, these credible charges against them."
She added that the party could enforce a code of conduct to prevent disruptive behavior, such as chasing individuals or yelling at them, even if their political ideas are not supported.
In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel issued a statement condemning the hateful and antisemitic threats, stating they have no place in Michigan. A party spokesperson also commented that while a code of conduct complaint was received, they would not comment on pending investigations. The spokesperson affirmed the party's commitment to ensuring safe events and rejecting all forms of hateful conduct.
Nessel also addressed concerns about Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, whose campaign has faced controversy over past comments. While not explicitly endorsing him, Nessel stated she does not want to see the Republican candidate Mike Rogers win the Senate seat. She plans to discuss her concerns with El-Sayed, urging him to moderate his rhetoric.
"First of all, I’d like him to tone down his rhetoric a little bit," Nessel said. "And what I mean by that is, AIPAC — which many of us do not support or agree with — and Israel, with many of us who do not support or agree with their government or the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu, they cannot be the central villain in literally every story."
She emphasized that issues such as healthcare reform should not be attributed to AIPAC or Israel, but rather to health insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
