Pro-Abdul El-Sayed ad falsely claims Israel responsible for high grocery prices despite no price spikes since Iran war began

A new campaign ad supporting Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has sparked controversy by falsely linking rising grocery prices to Israel. The ad features a couple in a grocery store expressing frustration over the cost of eggs and bananas, suggesting that U.S. aid to Israel is the reason they cannot afford these staples.

The ad claims that the war in Iran has led to high grocery prices, with one character stating that the cost of eggs is being used to “kill Palestinians.” The couple’s dialogue implies that U.S. financial support for Israel is a burden on American consumers, with one character noting that the country gives Israel $4 billion annually and an additional $26 billion, costing $161 per person.

The ad, released by Rebellion PAC, a group founded by “The Young Turks” co-founder Cenk Uygur, also criticizes Republican Congressman Mike Rogers for his support of Israel, referencing a pro-Trump ad from the 2024 election cycle. The ad has drawn widespread criticism, with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemning it as a case study in antisemitism.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called the ad “a case study in antisemitism,” accusing it of scapegoating the Jewish state. Joel Petlin, superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District in Orange County, NY, compared the ad to the 1938 German version of similar propaganda, highlighting its dangerous implications.

Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, labeled the ad “dumb and bigoted at scale,” criticizing its innumeracy and moral obtuseness. He noted the irony of the ad’s creators being unbothered by similar rhetoric directed at other groups.

The ad has ignited a broader debate about the accuracy of claims linking global events to everyday consumer prices, with critics emphasizing the importance of factual representation in political discourse.

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