CNN commentator Van Jones sharply condemned a political advertisement supporting Abdul El-Sayed, calling it an example of anti-Jewish hatred and urging El-Sayed to publicly denounce it.

The advertisement, produced by Rebellion PAC, depicts a couple struggling to afford certain grocery items while tying their financial difficulties to U.S. support for Israel. The ad drew criticism over its focus on Israel as the explanation for domestic economic problems.

Jones, a former Obama administration official who frequently participates in political discussions with conservatives, rejected the message outright and said El-Sayed should go beyond simply distancing his campaign from the advertisement.

"This is an example of anti-Jewish hate, and it should be taken down immediately. And denounce, and by the way, Abdul should denounce this ad immediately."

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Jones emphasized that the United States provides foreign assistance to countries around the world, raising the question of why the advertisement specifically singled out Israel when discussing the cost of living.

Scott Jennings also criticized the advertisement, arguing that its economic claims made little sense while serving what he described as an antisemitic message.

"It's economic incoherence wrapped up in anti-Semitism. So it's sort of par for the course. I mean, El-Sayed himself in this campaign has argued we can't have good education in this country because we fund the Iron Dome, which is completely wrong, nuts, economic incoherence. By the way, eggs, like $2.70 a carton, bananas, 40 or 50 cents a pound. It's economic incoherence. It's a lie, but it's all done in service to anti-Semitism. And at the same time, El-Sayed's campaign running ads featuring comments from Tucker Carlson. What is a Jewish Democrat in Michigan supposed to think right now? Why would El-Sayed have to answer these questions? It's a mystery."

Jennings focused in part on El-Sayed's previous argument connecting domestic education funding with American support for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.

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He said the comparison failed economically because federal spending decisions are not as simple as suggesting that support for Iron Dome directly prevents the United States from funding schools or lowering grocery prices.

Jennings also pointed to the use of comments from Tucker Carlson in advertising associated with El-Sayed's campaign and questioned how Jewish Democrats in Michigan would interpret the broader messaging surrounding the candidate.

Watch Democrat Van Jones on CNN blast the ad for Abdul El-Sayed that echos El-Sayed's words that argues that Americans have to set grocery money "aside for killing Palestinians" because of U.S. aid to Israel.

Jones: "This is an example of anti-Jewish hate, and it should be taken down immediately. And denounce, and by the way, Abdul should denounce this ad immediately." @ScottJenningsKY adds: "It's economic incoherence wrapped up in anti-Semitism. So it's sort of par for the course. I mean, El-Sayed himself in this campaign has argued we can't have good education in this country because we fund the Iron Dome, which is completely wrong, nuts, economic incoherence. By the way, eggs, like $2.70 a carton, bananas, 40 or 50 cents a pound. It's economic incoherence. It's a lie, but it's all done in service to anti-Semitism. And at the same time, El-Sayed's campaign running ads featuring comments from Tucker Carlson. What is a Jewish Democrat in Michigan supposed to think right now? Why would El-Sayed have to answer these questions? It's a mystery." — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 27, 2026

Jones' criticism was notable because he also pushed back against what he described as anti-Muslim rhetoric surrounding El-Sayed's campaign.

The debate over El-Sayed has extended beyond the Rebellion PAC advertisement, with critics raising separate questions about members of his family and alleged connections to organizations associated with radical Islamist movements.

Those allegations include claims that El-Sayed's mother worked for a relief organization accused of having ties to al-Qaeda, that his uncle served as the organization's bookkeeper, and that the FBI searched his mother's home.

Critics have also pointed to allegations involving El-Sayed's sister and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as a letter El-Sayed reportedly wrote to the organization after it came to power in Egypt.

Those claims have been used by El-Sayed's opponents to scrutinize his background, though they are separate from the criticism Jones and Jennings directed at the Rebellion PAC advertisement.

Jones drew a distinction between criticism directed at El-Sayed because of his Muslim background and the content of the pro-El-Sayed advertisement involving Israel.

His position was straightforward: depicting American families as unable to afford basic goods because the United States supports Israel crossed the line into anti-Jewish rhetoric.

Jennings reached a similar conclusion while also attacking the advertisement's economic premise.

Both commentators said El-Sayed should be pressed to address the controversy directly.

For Jones, merely creating distance between the campaign and the outside group behind the advertisement was not enough. He called on El-Sayed to explicitly denounce it.

The dispute adds another issue to El-Sayed's campaign as questions continue over his positions on Israel, federal spending, and the political groups seeking to support his candidacy.

At the center of the latest controversy is a message that two CNN commentators from different political perspectives agreed went too far, with Jones labeling it "anti-Jewish hate" and Jennings describing it as "economic incoherence wrapped up in anti-Semitism."

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