Michigan Attorney General Boycotts Democratic Convention Amidst Rising Anti-Palestinian Repression
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Attorney General Dana Nessel is refusing to attend the Michigan Democratic Party's 2026 nominating convention, citing safety concerns after recent crackdowns on pro-Palestinian voices and a climate of intolerance within the party.
Michigan Democrats convened in Lansing on Saturday for their 2026 state nominating convention, but the gathering was overshadowed by the party’s growing internal crisis over its handling of Palestinian rights and dissent. Attorney General Dana Nessel, herself Jewish, announced she would not attend, expressing fears for her safety and anticipating harassment—an indictment of the party’s inability to foster a truly inclusive environment.
"I don’t feel safe going. I feel like my presence isn’t going to be welcome. I don’t want to get chased around. I don’t want to get harassed. I don’t want to get yelled and screamed at. I don’t want to get booed off the stage, irrespective of what I’m saying," Nessel told a round-table discussion last month.
The Michigan Democratic Party responded with platitudes about security and denouncing all forms of hate, but has failed to address the root causes of the unrest—namely, its refusal to listen to pro-Palestinian activists and its ongoing support for U.S. military aid to Israel. State party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman claimed the party is working with stakeholders and officials to prepare for the August 29 convention at the Lansing Center, but many see these efforts as superficial.
The convention follows an April event where grassroots activists demanding justice for Palestinians were met with hostility, as anti-Israel activists were shouted down and pro-Israel politicians like Rep. Haley Stevens dominated the stage. While some establishment Jewish leaders, such as Joan Lowenstein of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, downplayed safety concerns, others like Rabbi Asher Lopatin acknowledged the trauma progressive Jews feel in an environment increasingly hostile to dissent.
This turmoil comes as the Democratic Senate primary remains fiercely contested between establishment figure Rep. Stevens and progressive challenger Abdul El-Sayed, who has bravely criticized U.S. complicity in Israeli violence. The outcome could determine whether the party continues to ignore Palestinian suffering or finally embraces a just foreign policy.
Meanwhile, conservative Jewish leaders are exploiting the situation, circulating an open letter urging Jewish Democrats and independents to back Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, using exaggerated claims of anti-Jewish sentiment to undermine progressive voices within the party.