Actor and singer Mandy Patinkin has urged Jewish Americans to vote for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, arguing that attacks on the politician echo the discrimination Jewish communities have experienced throughout history.
In a video shared on social media, the Homeland and The Princess Bride star defended El-Sayed against accusations made during his campaign, telling voters: “Abdul isn’t the scary person his opponents want you to be afraid of.”
Patinkin, who is Jewish, said criticism of El-Sayed had increasingly focused on his religious identity and alleged associations, rather than his political record.
“People focus on his Muslim name, make accusations about who he’s connected to and warn that he’s going to force Sharia law on everyone,” he said.
“You hear it over and over again. And I think we should stop and ask why they’re working so hard to make us afraid of him.”
The actor’s intervention comes ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, in which El-Sayed is challenging Republican nominee Mike Rogers for a Michigan Senate seat.
Patinkin drew a direct comparison between the rhetoric surrounding El-Sayed and the historic treatment of Jewish people, arguing that his community should recognise the dangers of judging someone by their religion.
“It’s hard for me to hear Muslims and Arabs talked about this way without thinking about our own Jewish history,” he said.
“We know what it’s like to have people treat your identity as a reason to distrust you, to make you seem threatening just because of who you are.
“And look, I understand that people in our community are scared right now. There are real threats, real grief, and real reasons to be worried about Jewish safety,” Patinkin said.
“I’m not trying to minimise any of that. But what do we actually do about it?”
For Patinkin, the answer lies in protecting democratic institutions and equal rights, rather than allowing religious identity to determine political support.
“Who is going to protect the democracy that has helped keep Jews safe in America? Who is going to stand up for the rights of all of us? Abdul,” he said.
“Because I believe protecting our community means protecting the democracy we all depend on.”
The endorsement follows Patinkin’s support for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another prominent Muslim politician who has faced criticism over his views on Israel.
Patinkin’s endorsement has itself attracted criticism. Professor and author Gad Saad, who has publicly supported Israel, attacked the actor over his intervention, describing him as a “degenerate, clueless, self-loathing imbecile”, according to JNS.
Patinkin has not suggested that Jewish voters must agree with El-Sayed on every issue. Instead, his message centres on the dangers of treating religious identity as evidence of political extremism.
“I’m not telling anyone what they have to believe about Abdul,” Patinkin said. “I’m asking people to recognise that this kind of talk should sound familiar to us.”
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