Former House Speaker rips Mamdani and El-Sayed over their overt hostility towards Israel – but says she will continue to back El-Sayed’s Senate bid.By World Israel News StaffFormer US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over their refusal to accept Israel’s status as a Jewish state, calling their positions wrong and distancing congressional Democrats from their views.Speaking Thursday on the “On Brand with Donny Deutsch” podcast, Pelosi was challenged by the Jewish television personality over what he described as growing antisemitism within the Democratic Party, particularly among its progressive wing.Deutsch, a lifelong Democrat, questioned whether Jewish voters could continue to feel at home in a party increasingly influenced by politicians openly hostile to Israel.“When you say Israel doesn’t have the right to be a Jewish state, that’s antisemitic as far as I’m concerned,” Deutsch told Pelosi.When the former Speaker asked whom he was referring to, Deutsch identified Mamdani and El-Sayed, noting their unwillingness to affirm Israel’s right to exist specifically as a Jewish nation-state.“No, it’s more than concerning. It’s wrong,” she responded, adding that such views did not reflect the positions of Democrats serving in Congress.She went on to distinguish between the party’s congressional leadership and its rising progressive figures, stressing that neither Mamdani nor El-Sayed currently serves in Congress.Pelosi also expressed disagreement with Mamdani while wishing him success as New York City’s mayor.“The mayor, bless his heart, I hope he succeeds as mayor,” she said, before acknowledging that she disagreed with some of his statements.Despite her criticism, Pelosi’s office subsequently clarified that she remained committed to supporting El-Sayed in his campaign for the US Senate.Her spokesperson, Nicholas Martin, told the New York Post on Friday that Pelosi had encouraged Americans, particularly Michigan voters, to support the Democratic nominee.“While they may disagree with him on some issues,” Martin said, Pelosi remained committed to working with El-Sayed on reducing living costs, protecting healthcare and defending American democracy.El-Sayed, who defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in August, is facing former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate contests.A former public health official, El-Sayed has made opposition to American military assistance to Israel a central component of his foreign policy platform.In an ABC News interview on October 19, he went further, explicitly questioning Israel’s status as an American ally.“An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn’t be fighting is not an ally,” El-Sayed declared.He also accused the Israeli government of exploiting its relationship with Washington and involving the United States in unnecessary military conflicts.The White House has rejected claims that Israel pushed the United States into its war with Iran.El-Sayed’s comments have generated criticism from pro-Israel Democrats and Jewish organizations concerned about the party’s direction.On CBS’s “60 Minutes” Sunday, he affirmed Palestinian statehood while offering a more qualified response when asked whether Israel also possessed a right to exist.He said he supported an arrangement providing peace, dignity and self-determination to both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, whether through a mutually agreed two-state solution or another political arrangement.Mamdani has similarly faced sustained criticism over his refusal to endorse Israel’s Jewish identity.During a June interview on ABC, the New York mayor said he supported Israel’s continued existence as a state guaranteeing equal rights to all its inhabitants but declined to endorse its character as a Jewish nation-state.“I’ve said time and again that I support the state of Israel as a state with equal rights,” Mamdani told host Jonathan Karl.Pressed specifically on whether he supported Israel as a Jewish state, Mamdani responded that he could not endorse a country that privileged one religion over another, applying the same principle to Israel and Saudi Arabia.Mamdani has repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism, arguing that his positions reflect a commitment to equal rights rather than hostility toward Jews.Nevertheless, his statements and policies have provoked criticism from Jewish organizations and Israeli officials, particularly following his refusal during the 2025 mayoral campaign to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada.”After assuming office in January, Mamdani also rescinded several Israel-related executive orders issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams, including measures addressing boycotts and antisemitism.The post Pelosi blasts El-Sayed, Mamdani over hostility towards Israel appeared first on World Israel News.