• An Oct. 7 video from Eman Abdelhadi and the backlash it sparked
• Her remarks about faith, justice, and the anniversary of the Hamas attack
• The silence around the Israeli victims and the symbolism of her clothing
• Reaction from critics and political allies tied to Abdul El-Sayed
• Abdelhadi’s past activism and legal trouble
• The wider political baggage hanging over El-Sayed’s campaign
One video was all it took to light up the political world again. Eman Abdelhadi, a University of Chicago professor and the half sister of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, posted an “October 7th blessing” on the anniversary of the Hamas-led massacre in Israel, and the message landed like a brick through a window. Her words, the timing, and the tone quickly turned the clip into a fresh flashpoint.
Abdelhadi opened with a phrase that set the tone immediately: “I want to say, Allahu Akbar,” before explaining the line as a reminder that justice still lies ahead. She tied the message to her faith and to a broader political worldview, framing the past year as a struggle against brutality and oppression. The video was not subtle, and it clearly was not meant to be.
What stood out just as much as what she said was what never came up. There was no mention of the Jewish victims killed by Hamas, even though the anniversary marked one of the darkest days in recent memory for Israel and the Jewish community. Abdelhadi appeared in a keffiyeh, a garment often worn as a symbol of Palestinian identity and cause-driven activism, which only sharpened the reaction around the post.
The language in the video stayed locked on resistance, grief, and defiance. Abdelhadi said, “There is something greater than even the strongest armies, and, for me, that’s God,” then added that she hoped people would keep building a better future together. She ended with the line, “I’ll see you on the streets,” which gave the whole message the feel of a rallying cry instead of a quiet reflection.
The post was shared as a collaboration with Rabbis4Ceasefire, which described it as an “October 7th blessing from Eman Abdelhadi, Scholar, Writer & Organizer.” That wording alone drew attention, because it turned the anniversary into a political statement rather than a moment of mourning for the dead. Later, Abdelhadi said the event had been framed by organizers as “a moment of grief for lives lost between 10/7/23 and 10/7/2024,” and that she was asked to take part.
The reaction online was fast and fierce. Critics on X blasted the video as celebratory and wildly insensitive, while supporters of El-Sayed rushed to separate his campaign from his sister’s words. The whole episode became one more headache for a candidate already dealing with plenty of baggage around Israel, Palestine, and the activist circles orbiting his campaign.
El-Sayed’s team moved quickly to draw a boundary. A campaign spokeswoman said he loves his sister but disagrees with her on several political issues, including foreign policy, and stressed that he is the one on the ballot. That is the line campaigns always try to hold when family and politics collide, but the reality is messier, especially when the family member in question is already a public figure in her own right.
Abdelhadi has not been some random voice drifting in from the sidelines. She has been a visible activist and has faced legal trouble before, including an arrest after allegedly spitting on an Illinois state trooper during protests outside an ICE detention center. She was charged with felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor counts tied to resisting or obstructing an officer, which only adds more fuel to how critics view her public role.
El-Sayed himself has also taken heat over his stance on the war and his broader political associations. He sent a fundraising email on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks that focused on Israeli military operations without addressing Hamas’ initial slaughter, and he has repeatedly drawn scrutiny for his appearances with streamer Hasan Piker, who once said America “deserved 9/11.”
That kind of surrounding noise matters because campaigns are never judged on a single statement in isolation. Every post, appearance, and family connection gets folded into a bigger story about judgment, values, and who a candidate is comfortable standing next to when the cameras are rolling. For El-Sayed, the question is no longer just what he says, but what keeps showing up around him.
