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September 20, 2026
Key Developments and What We're Discussing Today:
- It might sound even-handed to say that both parties have an antisemitism problem, but it is irresponsible to equate a handful of questionable Democrats with a Republican Party that is infected with antisemitism at the highest levels and does nothing about it.
- Jewish voters are moving toward Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan as they reflect on the stakes of this election and the dangers to Jewish Americans of electing Mike Rogers, a Trump supporter whose victory could allow Republicans to maintain control of the Senate at this juncture in our nation's history.
- Plus the best takes on the Macklemore balagan and other items you may have missed.
- Yom Kippur starts tonight. Wishing everyone an easy fast. I won't be sending newsletters next Sunday (Sukkot) or the following Sunday (Simchat Torah), but I might send one or two off-cycle.
You'll have an easier fast if you lighten that wallet. Please support my work by chipping in via credit card (you do not need a PayPal account), Zelle (contact me for info), Venmo @Steven-Sheffey (last four digits, 9479), or check.
Friends,
If you are concerned about antisemitism, and you should be, you should be far more concerned about the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. We hear more about antisemitism in the Democratic Party for two reasons.
First, it's not news when Republicans are antisemitic. The Trump administration and the GOP are the home of neo-Nazis and other antisemites, so what's one more between friends? Antisemitism in the Democratic Party is not the norm, so it gets more attention when it happens.
Second, Democrats criticize antisemitism in their own ranks. When the news media sees both parties condemning someone for antisemitism, they take it seriously because it's not "partisan." Republicans rarely call out their own. When only Democrats call out Republicans, it sounds partisan, and the media discounts it.
No one has more power, more influence, or a larger platform than Donald Trump, not even the most popular streamers or TV personalities. He is not a fringe player in the GOP. He is its leader. Republican voters nominated him for president for three consecutive elections. Republican members of Congress refuse to call out Trump for his long record of antisemitism.
The leader of House Republicans, elected Speaker by House Republicans, displays a Christian nationalist flag outside his office, along with about 20 of his Republican colleagues.
Jamelle Bouie lists some (not all) of the neo-Nazis and antisemites in the Trump administration and elsewhere in the GOP. Bouie isn't writing about streamers or other influencers. He's writing about the Republican Party itself. When was the last time you heard any Republican criticizing any of this?
Check out Speaker of the House Mike Johnson's (R-LA) thoughts on the neo-Nazis in his party. What would he say if he was asked about Sen. John Husted (R-OH)?
Yet some of us think that the problem is Democrats. Republican hatred and bigotry do not excuse Democratic hatred and bigotry, and we would be foolish to ignore antisemitism anywhere.
We would also be foolish to pretend both parties are the same. The Democratic Party is not led by antisemites.
Antisemitism is the exception, not the norm in the Democratic Party, while antisemitism has infected the Republican Party to the top. Six or seven DSA candidates winning in November will be diluted by a Democratic Caucus comprising well over 200 members (which is not to say that any of them are antisemitic).
But shouldn't we fight antisemitism in both parties, no matter how much there is in each one? Of course we should (we also should not fall for the evidence-challenged assumption that all DSA candidates are anti-Israel or antisemitic). But we can only vote for one party. I'll take the party led by those who oppose antisemitism over the party led by antisemites and infested at the highest levels with antisemitism.
That brings us to Michigan. It's okay to be unhappy about having to choose between Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, but that's the choice. Not voting is also a choice. Michiganders must ask themselves whether they would prefer a Democratic Senate or a Republican Senate. That’s the choice. A set of nonnegotiable demands won't change that choice.
What some of us might like least about El-Sayed is what the fewest Democrats in the Senate, if any, agree with him on. If someone really doesn’t care who controls the Senate, then sure, sit this one out. But for those who do care, El-Sayed is the only choice for those who understand the difference between the parties.
As Ami Fields-Meyer said, "The choice isn’t Abdul El-Sayed versus some imaginary candidate who shares your Israel views. It’s El-Sayed versus Mike Rogers and MAGA authoritarianism. And a movement committed to hollowing out civil and constitutional rights will never make Jews safer."
Some are troubled by increased criticism of Israel by Democrats and confuse harsh criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Democrats haven't changed. Israel's policies have changed. The answer is not to treat the symptom by opposing candidates like El-Sayed and electing Republicans who will be worse.
The answer can only come from the Israeli electorate in October. If Israel continues to move away from the values that underlie the U.S.-Israel relationship, American support for Israel will diminish as Americans see Israel as it currently is, not as we might wish it to be.
To the extent criticism of Israel resonates with American voters, it is because of the policies of Israel's government. Only Israel can change that reality. If it does, the harsh criticism of Israel we are seeing will wither on the vine and once again be relegated to the fringes. If it doesn't, then we cannot expect American voters to close their eyes, even if we do.
More than 600 Michiganders, including the Chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, signed the letter from Michigan Jews for Democracy, which notes that "While Mike Rogers may be courting Jewish support to win in November, he embraces a far-right political agenda which we believe makes Jews and all Americans less safe...He fully supports the role of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement in American public life." The New York Times has more on the letter and its signatories.
Former Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI), a Michigan Jewish Democratic icon, urged all Michiganders of conscience to vote for El-Sayed.
Norm Ornstein was more succinct: "Is Mike Rogers a neo-Nazi? No. Will he support the party that nurtures them? Oh, yes."
Rob Eshman was more direct: From FDR to Clinton, Black Americans have voted for the imperfect candidate to stop the worse one. Jews may need to do the same in November.
In 2024, Michiganders who disagreed with Kamala Harris on Gaza sat out the election when their "nonnegotiable" demands were not met. Trump won Michigan and the White House. Will we now make the same mistake?
Whether you like the choice or not, you have a binary choice. The voting booth is not a restaurant that allows you to create the perfect meal by making substitutions. You order the best the menu offers or you go hungry.
Unless you are indifferent to whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate, unless you don't see that the Republican Party has become an authoritarian cult, unless you don't understand that the Democratic Party remains an imperfect party whose leadership supports a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and rejects hatred and bigotry, you cannot sit this one out.
In Case You Missed It:
- Rep. Greg Meeks(D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced he will not clear the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel due to concerns that those munitions would not be used in accordance with U.S. and international law. Read his rationale.
- A trio of progressive Senators introduced a joint resolution of disapproval for the Trump administration’s proposed sale of conventional weapons, including 2,000-pound bombs, to...Saudi Arabia. The problem is not that progressives solely focus on Israel. The problem is that we do, so we don't notice when other countries are criticized.
Consume News Responsibly: Treat Jewish Insider with the level of trust that we would Fox News.
Social Media of the Week. NYT Pitchbot, Brendan May, and US Open Tennis
Video Clips of the Week. Abdul El-Sayed was asked about Mike Rogers' refusal to debate him, and a Republican Senator questions Trump's FBI Director (this is real).
Vintage Music Clip of the Week. All Apologies.
The Fine Print. Read the fine print before you reply or send me anything.
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