根据最新发布的竞选资金报告，一个与亲以色列组织AIPAC有关联的超级政治行动委员会已重新开始在密歇根州这场至关重要的参议院选举中投入资金，用于制作针对民主党候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德的宣传材料。该组织名为“联合民主项目”，尽管曾在8月份的民主党初选中斥资数百万美元来反对公开批评以色列的埃尔-赛义德，但在大选阶段却一直未再有所行动。
A super PAC tied to the pro-Israel group AIPAC has resumed spending in Michigan’s critical Senate race, funding new mailers targeting Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, according to a new campaign finance report. The group, United Democracy Project, hadn’t been involved in the general election despite spending millions to oppose El-Sayed, a vocal critic of Israel, in the Democratic primary in August.
该组织于周五向联邦选举委员会提交报告，显示其已花费9.5万美元用于制作反对埃尔-赛义德的宣传邮件。据发言人帕特里克·多顿介绍，这些邮件的目标受众为13万名犹太选民。邮件标题提及了今年3月份发生在密歇根州的一起犹太教堂袭击事件，美国联邦调查局将其定性为“受真主党煽动的恐怖主义行为”。据NBC新闻获得的邮件内容显示，上面写着：“阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德的回应是：‘受过伤害的人也会去伤害他人。’”
The group filed a report with the Federal Election Commission on Friday showing that it spent $95,000 on mailers opposing El-Sayed. The group is targeting 130,000 Jewish voters with mailers, according to spokesperson Patrick Dorton. The mailer features a headline about an attack on a Michigan synagogue in March, which the FBI described as “Hezbollah- inspired act of terrorism.”“Abdul El-Sayed’s response: ‘Hurt people hurt people,’” the mailer reads, according to a copy shared with NBC News.
埃尔-赛义德曾在8月下旬就自己对此次袭击事件的回应道歉，称自己的言论“可能被误解为是在为某种行为辩护，而实际上我并无此意”。据广告监测机构AdImpact统计，此次投入的资金仅相当于“联合民主项目”在民主党初选中为反对埃尔-赛义德、支持其对手众议员黑莉·史蒂文斯所花费的3300万美元的一小部分。史蒂文斯是以色列的坚定支持者，而埃尔-赛义德则指责以色列在加沙实施了种族灭绝。
El-Sayed apologized in late August for his response to the attack, saying his comments “may have been misconstrued to justify something I did not mean to justify.”The new spending is just a fraction of the $33 million United Democracy Project spent on ads in the Democratic primary against El-Sayed and in support of his primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Stevens is a staunch supporter of Israel, while El-Sayed has accused Israel of committing a genocide in Gaza.
目前，埃尔-赛义德正与前共和党众议员迈克·罗杰斯展开对决，后者多次批评埃尔-赛义德在以色列问题上的立场。在周四晚上的首场辩论中，当被问及Axios网站的报道——即罗杰斯的盟友曾要求“联合民主项目”不要介入此次选举时，罗杰斯表示自己欢迎该组织的参与。“任何愿意帮助我竞选、阻止这样一个因与穆斯林兄弟会支持者关系密切而无法谴责本国境内恐怖主义行为的人，我都非常欢迎他们的帮助，”罗杰斯说道。
El-Sayed is now facing off against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who has slammed his opponent for his positions on Israel. During their first debate Thursday night, Rogers said he would welcome AIPAC’s involvement when asked about an Axios report that the former congressman’s allies had asked the group to stay out of the race. “Anybody that wants to help my campaign stop a guy who can’t condemn terrorism in our own country because he’s so close to the people who are supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, again, I’ll take all of that help,” Rogers said.
埃尔-赛义德插话说道：“我再次强调，我已经谴责过他们了。”在辩论中，有人问埃尔-赛义德，如果以色列遭到攻击，他是否会支持为该国提供防御性武器的资金。埃尔-赛义德回应道：“我不希望我们的税款被用来为其他国家购买武器。我不知道这有什么难以理解的。”他还被问及伊朗和以色列哪一个对美国构成更大的威胁，但他拒绝回答，称这个问题“是一个荒谬的假设性提问”。
El-Sayed interjected to say, “Again, I’ve condemned them.”El-Sayed was asked during the debate whether he would support funding for defensive weapons for Israel if the country was attacked. “I don’t want our tax dollars buying weapons for other countries. I don’t know what’s so hard about that,” El-Sayed responded. He was also whether Iran or Israel posed a bigger threat to the United States, and declined to answer, calling the question “a ridiculous hypothetical.”
埃尔-赛义德说：“我不希望被以色列拖入战争，也不希望与伊朗发生战争。我希望我们的钱能花在这里，用于建设学校、提供医疗和儿童保育服务。我不明白为什么这一点会如此难以接受。”
“I don’t want to be pushed into war by Israel, and I don’t want to be in a war with Iran,” El-Sayed said. “I want our money spent here to buy schools and healthcare and childcare here. I don’t understand why that is so inconceivable.”