US Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) speaks to media during a Senate vote, at the US Capitol, in Washington, DC, May 2, 2024. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

US Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has become the latest prominent Democrat to endorse anti-Israel progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed, in another sign of the Democratic Party’s acceptance of a far-left insurgency deeply hostile toward the Jewish state.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Van Hollen on Thursday praised El-Sayed, who is running for US Senate in Michigan, as the “strongest” person in the race and claimed that the former Wayne County health director is “the candidate who’s willing to take on the status quo.”

“When I say the status quo, I mean not just the lawless Trump administration, but take on the Democratic establishment that has not fought hard enough for working people,” Van Hollen said.

Van Hollen joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in endorsing El-Sayed, who has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in any major Senate race this cycle. He has called for ending US military assistance to Israel and aligned himself with activists seeking a dramatic overhaul of the longstanding US-Israel relationship.

El-Sayed’s campaign has attracted support from progressive groups that view opposition to Israeli policy as a defining issue within the Democratic coalition. El-Sayed has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” and hesitated to condemn internationally recognized terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah for attacking the Jewish state.

The endorsement places Van Hollen in direct opposition to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who has endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens for the Michigan Senate seat.

In the two years following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, Van Hollen has emerged as one of the Jewish state’s sharpest critics in the Senate. He has repeatedly suggested that Israel has launched indiscriminate bombing campaigns on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and erroneously accused the Jewish state of withholding necessary food aid from civilians.

While the race encompasses a range of issues, from health care and labor policy to economic inequality, the Michigan Senate primary has also become a focal point in the Democratic Party’s increasingly contentious debate over Israel.

For many pro-Israel Democrats and Jewish voters, the growing momentum behind El-Sayed’s candidacy raises concerns about the future direction of a party that has historically maintained strong support for the Jewish state.

Stevens represents a more traditional Democratic approach to the US-Israel relationship. While supportive of humanitarian assistance and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she has maintained support for the strategic partnership between Washington and Jerusalem. Her campaign has received support from pro-Israel organizations and Democrats who believe the alliance remains vital to both American and Israeli security.

The endorsement battle surrounding the race reflects a broader ideological struggle unfolding within the Democratic Party. Progressives argue that the party should embrace a more confrontational posture toward Israel and reject what they characterize as establishment politics. Moderates counter that abandoning support for Israel would alienate key voters, weaken Washington’s global alliances, and push the party away from the political center.

Michigan’s importance only heightens the stakes. As one of the nation’s premier battleground states, the outcome of the Democratic primary will be closely watched as a potential indicator of where Democratic voters stand on foreign policy, party leadership, and the future of the US-Israel alliance.

The contest also follows a series of victories by anti-Israel progressive candidates in the New York City Democratic congressional primaries on Tuesday, prompting renewed debate about whether the party is experiencing a broader ideological realignment. Supporters of Israel are watching closely, concerned that a victory by El-Sayed could encourage similar candidates nationwide and accelerate efforts to move the Democratic Party away from its historically pro-Israel consensus.