Veteran House of Representatives member Nancy Pelosi, a senior figure in the Democratic Party in the U.S. Congress, criticized New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for their refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Pelosi made the remarks on the "On Brand" podcast hosted by Donny Deutsch, when he told her: "When you say Israel doesn't have the right to be a Jewish state, that's antisemitic." Pelosi responded by asking "who says that?" and when Deutsch cited Mamdani and El-Sayed, she replied: "That's more than concerning. It's not okay, and it doesn't represent the Democrats in Congress."