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Israel is not an ally of the United States as it is “taking money” and “pushing” the country into ill-advised wars, a US politician has claimed.
Speaking ahead of next month's mid-term elections, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrats' senate candidate in Michigan, affirmed his stance against Israel, claiming it takes American money to draw the country into conflicts it should not be fighting.
“An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn’t be fighting is not an ally,” El-Sayed told the TV network ABC.
Comparing the relationship to a friendship, he accused Israel of relying on American taxpayers’ money while involving the US in disputes with other countries.
“I think it’s time for us to realise that Israel is actually not our friend,” he concluded.
El-Sayed's remarks come amid growing scrutiny of his positions on Israel ahead of November's US midterm elections.
Meanwhile, rabbis and Jewish community leaders have urged the Democratic Party to establish firm principles for protecting Jewish safety, amid concerns about the implications of El-Sayed's anti-Israel stance.
The Michigan Senate race has become a focus of debate over Israel's place in American foreign policy and the Democratic Party's increasingly divided approach to the US-Israel relationship.
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