Dem AG urges Jewish voters to put humanity above 'safety and security' of own people
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, used the biblical story of Queen Esther to urge fellow Jewish Democrats at a private gathering to prioritize the needs of "the rest of humanity" above their own community's safety, according to a video recording of the event reviewed by The Detroit News.
The Aug. 30 meeting in Birmingham was hosted by the Michigan Democratic Party's Jewish Caucus and closed to the press. During her remarks, Nessel told attendees she believes Jewish Democrats have a "moral imperative to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest," urging them to "sacrifice the comfort, safety and security and even the very future of our own people in exchange for the opportunity to save the rest of humanity."
The attorney general framed the choice in stark terms, asking: "What good is defending the historic homeland of our ancestors and demanding that candidates acknowledge its right to exist if the planet upon which it rests is no longer inhabitable?"
Nessel also characterized supporting former President Donald Trump as an "abdication of our responsibilities as Jews," arguing that Jewish tradition demands "compassionate action toward others" over what she called "blind obedience to the world's biggest and most dangerous fool." She accused Republicans of fixating on cultural issues such as "transgender girls playing JV volleyball" rather than addressing concerns like wealth inequality and artificial intelligence.
While Nessel acknowledged frustration in the room, noting that arguments equating Zionism to racism are often made "by people whose entire understanding of [Jewish-Israeli history] fits neatly into a 47-second TikTok produced by Qatar or Iran," she argued that the Republican Party poses a greater threat.
The event was attended by Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and a vocal critic of Israel who has opposed U.S. military aid to the Jewish state. El-Sayed apologized to the Jewish Caucus during the gathering for past controversial comments about Israel. Nessel has publicly stated she will not vote for Republican Mike Rogers in the competitive Senate race but has withheld her endorsement from El-Sayed over her concerns about his positions on Israel.
The remarks come as Jewish Democrats across Michigan and other battleground states report growing discomfort with the party's direction on Israel. Nessel, who skipped the recent Michigan Democratic Party convention citing safety concerns, has been an outspoken advocate for Jewish members of her party.
In a separate appearance on The Atlantic's "David Frum Show," Nessel accused the Democratic Party of not valuing its Jewish constituents and making them feel less welcome than members of other minority groups. She said Jewish Democrats have felt increasingly alienated since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel and criticized party leadership for selectively championing issues important to supporters. Nessel also said if forced to choose, she would pick her Jewish heritage over her party affiliation.
The comments drew swift criticism from outside commentators. Hen Mazzig, an author and senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute, called Nessel's use of the Esther story historically inaccurate.
"I am a gay man and lifelong liberal," Mazzig said. "I understand why many American Jews care so deeply about the Democratic Party. But Esther risked her own safety for the Jewish people's survival, she didn't risk them to save others. Using her story this way is not accurate or helpful."
George Mason University constitutional law professor David Bernstein offered a sharper assessment.
"You may have thought I was exaggerating when I tweeted last week about how a segment of the American Jewish community is suicidal. The real news here is not that Nessel said this, but that she thinks it's a viable pitch to at least a large segment of an audience of Jewish Democrats," Bernstein said. He added that Nessel's comments reminded him of "Jewish Stalinists who stayed with Stalin through the pact with Hitler, and then through the antisemitic purges of the late 1940s, because they believed that absorbing this stuff was the price Jews needed to pay for a better world."
Fox News Digital requested further comment from Nessel's office but did not receive a response before publication.
