Skip to main content
CadNews - Comparative News Analysis
Topics
Sign in
Back to brief

Politics · October 17, 2026

Abdul El-Sayed Fundraised Alongside School Principal Who Resigned for Defending ‘Intifada’ as T-Shirt Slogan and Gaza Flotilla Activist Who Has Described Thanksgiving as ‘National Day of Mourning’

Part of: Michigan Senate: El-Sayed vs. Rogers →
1 sources →

A report from the Washington Free Beacon states that Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Democrat, fundraised with controversial activists Debbie Almontaser and Huwaida Arraf. Almontaser is noted for her 2007 resignation as a NYC principal after defending the use of the term 'intifada' on t-shirts, though a nonbinding EEOC finding later cited bias in her removal. Arraf, a co-founder of the Free Gaza movement, has referred to Thanksgiving as a 'national day of mourning' and criticized U.S. leaders regarding the conflict in Gaza. The El-Sayed campaign did not provide a comment to the outlet regarding these associations.

Only one outlet has covered this so far. CadNews compares coverage once more outlets report it.

Read the original coverage

Reported across the spectrum

  • Abdul El-Sayed participated in a $3,500-a-head fundraiser in Manhattan on Oct. 5 hosted by Debbie Almontaser.
  • Debbie Almontaser resigned as a NYC principal in 2007 following controversy over her defense of the word 'intifada' as a slogan.
  • Huwaida Arraf hosted a fundraiser for El-Sayed in Chesterfield, Mich., on July 11.
  • Arraf is a co-founder of the Free Gaza movement and participated in the 2010 Gaza flotilla.
  • The EEOC found the NYC Department of Education guilty of bias in Almontaser's resignation case, though the ruling was nonbinding.
  • The El-Sayed campaign did not respond to the Free Beacon's request for comment.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Politico reported on the Oct. 5 fundraiser but did not mention Almontaser's past controversy.
  • Huwaida Arraf has used the phrase 'Genocide Joe' to refer to Joe Biden on social media.
  • Arraf has called for the criminal prosecution of U.S. leaders by the International Criminal Court.

About these outlets

CadNews does not determine absolute truth or endorse political viewpoints. It compares publicly available reporting, identifies shared facts, highlights framing differences, and flags uncertainty.