Why was Kornacki talking so much about Michigan?
by Rabbi Nate DeGroot
Watching NBC's Kornacki Cam last Tuesday night, tracking primary results here in Michigan where I live, I was fascinated - though not surprised - that about 95% of the coverage on the national broadcast focused on the Michigan primaries, even though there were four other state primaries happening across the US that night.
Why was so much coverage devoted to Michigan? Almost assuredly it was because of the Democratic Senate primary race between candidates US Representative Haley Stevens and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. And why was that race of such interest to a national audience? Of course, yes, because Michigan is a swing state and a purple state and that Senate seat means a whole lot when it comes to the midterms in November. But perhaps even more centrally, because Israel, Antisemitism, and AIPAC were on the ballot.
If your Jewish communities are anything like the Jewish community here in Metro Detroit, you are probably seeing a mix of excited energy, confusion and concern, and deep fear and pain amongst your people when it comes to this race in particular, and these issues more broadly, as many of us grapple with questions that are not conducive to quick sound bite answers, like:
How do we call for ending the sale of offensive weapons to Israel without feeding antisemitism? Are candidates who challenge or oppose all U.S. military aid to Israel colluding with antisemitism? Can we take a stand against AIPAC’s role in the upcoming elections without slipping into antisemitism? How can we grow critical anti-authoritarian coalitions while holding strong differences around Israel?
If any of this resonates, I hope you'll consider registering for our latest program, happening September 3rd, where longtime Shalom Center board members, Cherie Brown and Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, will dig into these timely and fraught topics with nuance, care, and clarity.
And if you haven't already read them, I encourage you to check out Rabbi Alana Alpert's article about the Senate race here in Michigan and Jay Michaelson's article exploring El-Sayed's positions on Israel/Palestine, both published in The Forward last week.
Register here to join us on Sept 3rd!
- Rabbi Nate
Israel, Antisemitism, and the U.S. Midterm Elections
Understanding the issues with Cherie Brown & Rabbi Mordechai Liebling
September 3rd, 7-8:30pm ET // 4-5:30pm PT
The upcoming midterm elections in the U.S. are critical for trying to halt the brazen authoritarianism and anti-democracy policies of the Trump administration.
And — as we have most recently seen play out in the hotly contested Michigan senate primary — the issue of U.S. support for Israel and for the policies of the Netanyahu government, alongside AIPAC’s spending in US political races, is once again front and center as wedge issues in the elections, potentially dividing the Democratic party.
Join two veteran lifetime Jewish social justice activists, Cherie Brown and Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, for a challenging and sensitive discussion.