Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over their positions on Israel, saying their views were wrong and did not represent congressional Democrats.
Pelosi, 86, made the remarks Thursday during an appearance on Donny Deutsch's “On Brand" podcast, where the Jewish host questioned her about antisemitism within the Democratic Party and the reluctance of some prominent Democrats to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
“When you say Israel doesn’t have the right to be a Jewish state, that’s antisemitic as far as I’m concerned with all that," Deutsch told Pelosi.
When he raised Mamdani and El-Sayed as examples, Pelosi responded sharply.
“No, it’s more than concerning," she said. “It’s wrong. It’s wrong. And it isn’t a reflection of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States."
Despite her criticism, Pelosi's spokesperson, Nicholas Martin, clarified Friday that the former Speaker continued to support El-Sayed's campaign for the US Senate.
Martin told The New York Post that Pelosi had “urged everyone in Michigan and across America to support Abdul El-Sayed."
“While they may disagree with him on some issues, she is united with him in the fight to lower costs, protect healthcare and defend our democracy," he added.
Pelosi also expressed hope that Mamdani would succeed as mayor, despite her objections to some of his statements.
“The mayor, bless his heart, I hope he succeeds as mayor, but I don’t agree with some of the things he has said," she said.
Mamdani's positions on Israel generated controversy throughout his mayoral campaign, including remarks he made on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas carried out its massacre in southern Israel, and his refusal to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada".
The controversy continued after he took office. On his first day as mayor, Mamdani rescinded several Israel-related executive orders issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams, and subsequently became the first New York City mayor to boycott the annual Israel Day Parade.
More recently, Mamdani faced renewed criticism over his statement commemorating the anniversary of the October 7 massacre. Although he expressed mourning for the Israelis murdered and kidnapped by Hamas, much of his message focused on accusations against Israel over its military operations in Gaza.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, secured the Democratic nomination for Michigan's Senate race in August after narrowly defeating pro-Israel Representative Haley Stevens.
His campaign has drawn criticism over his opposition to US military assistance to Israel, his remarks about the Israeli government and his responses to incidents of antisemitic violence.
Last week, El-Sayed went further, arguing that Israel should no longer be regarded as an American ally.
During an interview with ABC News, he accused Israel of accepting American financial assistance while pushing Washington toward military conflicts.
“An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn't be fighting is not an ally," he said.
Pelosi herself has frequently criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly over his government's policies and approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In April 2024, she described Netanyahu as an "obstacle to the two-state solution," and called for his resignation.
She also opposed the decision to invite Netanyahu to address Congress that year, calling the invitation “wrong" and saying she would not have extended it had she remained House Speaker.
Pelosi was among the nearly half of congressional Democrats who boycotted Netanyahu's address. Following the speech, she described it as " the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States".