Many of the “Michigan Jewish Dems” Backing Mike Rogers Are Actually Already Republican Supporters, Analysis Finds

Story by Tom Perkins Over 400 alleged Michigan Jewish Democratic and independent voters signed a pledge in late August to vote for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, igniting a controversy and generating questions about whether Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed was losing critical support among a group that typically votes blue by about a 2:1 ratio. But a Drop Site review of signatories in the “Michigan Jews Against Extremism” campaign finds many of the Jewish community leaders involved have deep ties to the GOP, as well as to pro-Israel activist groups such as AIPAC. Nearly 50 were involved in a nearly identical gambit in 2012 that went by the name “Jews for Mitt.” Then-President Barack Obama, the group argued, was so “anti-Israel” that their consciences drove them to abandon the Democratic Party to support Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Among those who signed both the Romney and Rogers pledges are six members of the Schostaks, a politically powerful family behind a major Michigan development company. Bobby Schostak, the former head of the Michigan Republican Party, signed the Jews For Mitt pledge, but this time did not pretend to be a Democrat—he now serves as the Rogers campaign’s finance chair. Dozens of signatories either work with the GOP, have served in office as Republicans, have run as Republicans, or donate to right-wing candidates, including Donald Trump. The operation, however, has been extraordinarily effective, garnering enormous media attention, which frames the group as genuine Democrats who were finally pushed over the edge by El-Sayed. Taken together, nearly 90% of the first 430 signatories are either connected to pro-Israel activist groups, GOP aligned, Jews for Mitt voters, or may not live in Michigan. The Michigan Jews campaign appears to be an “astroturf operation” led by AIPAC and other Republican-affiliated activists, said Jess Newman, a former special assistant for AIPAC’s vice CEO. She now works with the Democratic Socialists of America. Many of the top signatories are well-known Jewish community leaders, Newman added, and the campaign seeks to “create a permission structure to vote for Rogers” for less politically active Democratic Jews who do not know that most of these leaders are connected to Republicans, or are Republicans. “They are using this brazen tactic because they know that people aren’t going to look deeply into it, and some Jewish voters will say ‘Oh, I recognize a few names on this list so I can find a way to hold my nose and vote for the Republican,” Newman said. “The implication is that this is a list of Democrats who otherwise would vote for Democrats, had a red line not been crossed.” The campaign’s website states, “Many of us have been fiercely supportive of Democratic candidates and principles.” But FEC records show many signatories have donated to GOP candidates, including Trump, Rick Snyder, Kelly Loeffler, Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Rick Santorum, the Republican National Congressional Committee, and PACs that support a wide range of Republican candidates, including GOP Michigan House Leader Matt Hall. Among the signatories are current and former leadership for AIPAC, as well as groups that have led the charge against pro-Palestinian advocates in Michigan and nationally, including the Jewish Federation, Hillel, and Anti-Defamation League. Drop Site did not include in its 90% figure people who simply are connected with a Jewish communal group, or a synagogue not involved in Israel activism. However, it did include those in leadership at synagogues Adot Shalom and Shaarey Zedek, which openly work with AIPAC, support the IDF, and make pro-Israel activism a central component of their mission. The list’s first signer is Adam Kaplan, a Hillel donor, AIPAC donor, former Jewish Federation committee member, and an appointee in the administration of Republican former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. Some signatories have run for office as Republicans, including Bubba Urdan, a West Bloomfield resident who ran for the GOP nomination in the Michigan state house, and has served on Jewish Federation boards. Urdan did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Michigan Jews Against Extremism said the letter “was not organized by AIPAC or in coordination with it or any other organization.” She did not address questions about the Republican ties. The signatories’ AIPAC-GOP connections run deep. Among them is David Handelman, a Mitch McConnell donor and former AIPAC Michigan president who once organized a Detroit pro-Israel event with the 2002 Iraq War architect and diplomat John Bolton as the featured speaker. Former AIPAC national president David Victor still sits on its national board, and donated to Mike Rogers in 2010. He also donated to John McCain and GOP Ohio Congress members John Boehner and Rob Portman, as well as many Democrats. Max Newman is a metro Detroit attorney and AIPAC activist who also works with Hillel. Campaign finance records show he donated to Rogers multiple times in the aughts, Rudy Giuliani, the National Republican Congressional Committee and many Democrats. Joshua Opperer is the executive director of AIPAC’s National New Leaders Network and Jewish Federation of Detroit’s executive committee recently donated $10,000 to AIPAC, and published a Substack article titled, “Fireworks in Rafah,” that includes a picture of Israeli soldiers celebrating Israel’s independence day by lighting off fireworks in Rafah. He has donated to several Republicans, as well as Democrats. The 2012 Jews For Mitt ad declares “We are Michigan Jews. Four years ago many of us voted for Barack Obama. Today we are voting for Mitt Romney.” The ad alleges Obama had “anti-Israel policies,” and claims Mitt Romney would “aggressively combat Muslim extremism” and “fortify America’s crucial relationship with Israel.” Among the 49 people who are a part of both campaigns are the Schostacks, Urdan, Max Newman, Victor, and Handelman, who are all Republicans or have donated to Republicans. It includes many other AIPAC activists, like Margo Woll. “They are dusting off their old strategy of trying to create a grass-tops campaign that makes it look like Jewish people in general are not going to vote for the Democratic nominee,” said former Democrat Congress member Andy Levin, who was defeated in a 2022 election bid by the AIPAC-backed Haley Stevens in a metro Detroit district. Only about one-third of Michigan Jews are Republicans, and Levin said he believes most Jews will still vote for El-Sayed. The campaign spokesperson told Drop Site, “For some signatories, our concern is much more personal: as Jews we do not feel safe when political rhetoric minimizes antisemitism, excuses or contextualizes violence against Jews, or embraces an agenda we believe is hostile to our community, our safety and our children’s safety.” “We are speaking for ourselves, exercising our right as Michigan voters, and asking to be heard without being reduced to a political label.” Among those who do not appear to live in Michigan is Hannan Lis, who told Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ in March that he moved to Israel several years ago to be closer to his grandkids, and who has been described as an “Israeli citizen” in older media reports. He was part of the Jewish Federation’s board of governors and the AIPAC National Council. Lis told Drop Site he is a dual citizen who splits time between Israel and Michigan. He is registered to vote in Michigan. “The key question here is ‘Who speaks for the Jews and who are the Jews?’” said Levin, a former Michigan synagogue president. “This idea that these right wing-on-Israel groups are the Jewish people or they represent the Jewish people is just demonstrably false,” Levin added. He said there is an intense organizing effort in Michigan’s Jewish community for El-Sayed, but the media and the vast amount of attention goes to a statistically small number of voters who are pledging to cast a ballot for Rogers. Levin’s father, former Rep. Sandy Levin, 95, who served as the powerful chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, made an unusual foray back into politics to endorse El-Sayed this week. On Wednesday, a list of over 600 Michigan Jews pledging to support El-Sayed was released. Jewish voters make up about 1% of Michigan’s electorate, and right-wing Jewish voters may represent as little as .3% of voters statewide. The number of Democrats who may switch is even more miniscule within the context of the state’s electorate. That raises questions about the outsize media attention to this tiny group of voters, Levin said. Some on the list, and some Jewish Democrats, genuinely may not be able to vote for El-Sayed, Jess Newman said. She added that the campaign is “preying on latent Islamophobia.” “It’s about depressing voter turnout for El-Sayed and getting people on the margins, and if they have to lie to get there, then they will,” Newman added. "Taken together, nearly 90% of the first 430 signatories are either connected to pro-Israel activist groups, GOP aligned, Jews for Mitt voters, or may not live in Michigan." So the signatories saying "We are Democrats and Independents" is an outright lie. Time to out the known Republicans on the list and ask them why they lied. I’m Not Seeing Any Jews Attacked By Ice Or Being Put In Detention Ctrs.