Liberal Zionist group Nonnegotiable plans national platform after Michigan Senate race
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The Nonnegotiable initiative, which rallied 250 rabbis to demand pro-Zionist commitments from Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, says it will expand beyond Michigan to create a nationwide forum for liberal Zionist Jews.
Around 250 rabbis representing the Nonnegotiable Michigan coalition met shortly before an Oct. 24 rally in Detroit featuring Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and former President Barack Obama. The rabbis urged El-Sayed to publicly endorse "Jewish statehood in Israel" and to affirm safety for "Zionist Jews" onstage, conditions the group says must be met before it offers support.
El-Sayed did not address the movement or its demands at the event, and his campaign is now in its final weeks. The effort coincided with Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsing El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, former congressman Mike Rogers.
"I do think it’s a template for a national model," said Rabbi Aaron Starr, a co-founder of Nonnegotiable, speaking to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "I’m certainly looking beyond this election. In two years there will be a presidential election, and another slate of candidates for elected office."
Starr said the group’s primary aim is to "name the priorities that are most core to mainstream American Jews" and to provide a forum for rejecting extremism across the political spectrum.
Nonnegotiable reports gathering 1,900 signatures in Michigan and 4,560 nationwide, including rabbis from 34 states and Washington, D.C. Among the signatories is Rabbi Samuel Stern of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, Kansas, who cited concerns about "anti-Zionist hatred" emerging from various political sides.
The initiative has also attracted college students, with about two dozen at the University of Michigan adding their names to the petition. Student organizer Jacob Reich said he resonated with Nonnegotiable’s goals but felt the group did not fully address El-Sayed’s past remarks following a March attack on Temple Israel.
Critics within the Jewish community argue the movement may inadvertently aid Republican candidates. Rabbi Alana Alpert, of Congregation T’chiyah, wrote that Nonnegotiable’s approach has "driven a wedge between the campaign and Jewish interests." Rabbi Nate DeGroot offered an alternative set of "nonnegotiables," emphasizing condemnation of Christian nationalism, support for abortion and trans rights, and opposition to a potential U.S.–Israeli conflict over Iran.
J Street, a liberal Zionist organization, highlighted a leaked text between Nonnegotiable’s Instagram account and former AIPAC president David Victor, suggesting possible coordination with established pro-Israel lobbying groups. Nonnegotiable leaders denied any partisan involvement.
In a recent Zoom call, Nonnegotiable co-founder Rabbi Josh Whinston criticized AIPAC’s use of his comments in anti-El-Sayed mailers, while other participants praised Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten for her support of the U.S.–Israel relationship.
The group concluded the meeting by encouraging Jewish voters to consider write-in candidates, citing the 19th-century poet Emma Lazarus as a symbolic choice.