Haley Stevens Grabs Benjamin Netanyahu's Lifeline On Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu threw Rep. Haley Stevens a lifeline on Israel on Tuesday. She wasted no time seizing it.

Hours after the Israeli prime minister criticized Stevens by name in a CNN interview, the Michigan Senate hopeful brandished that stamp of disapproval in a fiery debate in an effort to blunt rival Abdul El-Sayed’s continued attacks over her ties to the pro-Israel lobby.

“It is very clear that Mr. Netanyahu has not made us safer, has not brought us closer to peace. And he's endangered Jews here in America and around the world. This is why he was just trashing me today on CNN,” Stevens said when asked about the U.S.’ role in the Israel-Hamas conflict. “I am not afraid of bullies. I am not afraid to stand up. And I continue to stand up for humanitarian aid, for the U.S. to work with the countries in the region and get aid into Gaza.”

Divisions over Israel have defined the contentious Democratic Senate primary in battleground Michigan. And Stevens has been searching for a boost against an ascendant El-Sayed as state Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s recent exit winnowed the race to a head-to-head contest.

Stevens has long struggled to parry attacks from her opponents over her support for Israel and weapons sales to its military, as well as her association with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The organization has supported her past campaigns. Its super PAC, United Democracy Project, has now pumped nearly $11 million into the Senate race to boost Stevens and sink El-Sayed, and it has placed $20 million in ad reservations, per tracking firm AdImpact. The deluge comes in the state with the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the U.S. — and a substantial Jewish population as well.

But Netanyahu’s remarks gave Stevens a crucial opening to distance herself from the pro-Israel stances that have fallen sharply out of favor with Democratic voters. Stevens said in a Monday CNN interview that Netanyahu has “made us less safe” and “put Jews in an uncomfortable position across this country and the world.” In response, Netanyahu said Tuesday that Stevens “can’t stand up for the truth” and accused her of trying to “excuse antisemitism.”

The exchange comes at a critical juncture for Stevens, with just weeks to go before the state’s August primary and with public polls showing El-Sayed pulling ahead. And while never asked directly about Netanyahu’s dig, Stevens twice worked it into her responses to questions about the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Still, El-Sayed did not let up.

The staunch Israel critic has turned AIPAC’s support for Stevens into a cudgel, accusing her of being beholden to the pro-Israel lobby and broadly condemning special-interest groups’ spending to influence elections. On Tuesday, he suggested Netanyahu’s attack was a political ploy to boost Stevens.

“I don't think Benjamin Netanyahu is attacking her to actually attack her,” El-Sayed said during the debate. “I think he's attacking her to try and steer away the stink of how staunchly she stands for their policy.”

And he repeatedly sought to steer the conversation back to AIPAC, accusing the group — which has run ads attacking him in addition to spots promoting Stevens — of attempting to buy the seat. Stevens fired back onstage that “no one owns my vote.”

The debate was the first televised clash between the two remaining Senate candidates since McMorrow exited the race earlier this week, crystallizing the contest as a clear-cut ideological showdown between the moderate Stevens and progressive El-Sayed.

An ascendant left is looking for El-Sayed to deliver a knockout to the establishment by defeating Stevens, who’s backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and centrist-leaning groups, in the state’s August 4 primary. But moderates argue he’s not electable come November in the perennial swing state, with Democrats’ hopes of controlling the Senate relying in part on holding the Michigan seat after Sen. Gary Peters retires.

Polls show both El-Sayed and Stevens within the margin of error in a hypothetical head-to-head against the presumed GOP nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers.

Throughout Tuesday’s hourlong slugfest, the two remaining Democratic candidates traded barbs over everything from immigration to health care. Stevens, who has trailed El-Sayed in some public polls of the primary, looked to dent that slim lead by hammering her opponent for not releasing his tax returns and accusing him of pandering for social media clicks.

She also suggested national Republicans were seeking to boost El-Sayed’s campaign by running digital ads ostensibly attacking the progressive while showcasing his support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), as her campaign leans into the hope that GOP meddling is more of a bogeyman to Democratic primary voters than AIPAC.

But El-Sayed repeatedly pulled the conversation back to the pro-Israel group’s heavy spending to influence the race.

“If Congresswoman Stevens makes it or Mike Rogers wins, either way, Israel will win,” El-Sayed said. “AIPAC is perfectly fine with either of my two opponents, because they know that they will have a comfortable, reliable vote.”