Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist Apologizes to Jewish Community for Gaza ‘Genocide’ Claims, Enters Sec. of State Race

Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist used a candidate forum on Sunday to directly address criticism over his past comments on the war in Gaza, seeking to repair his relationship with the Jewish community amid uproar over his recent characterization of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas as a “genocide.”

Speaking at the forum for Democratic candidates for Michigan secretary of state, Gilchrist told attendees that while he continued to oppose civilian suffering, he regretted how his earlier remarks about the conflict were expressed and the impact they had, particularly on Jewish communities in Michigan amid a sharp rise in antisemitism nationwide. He emphasized that his apology was about tone and responsibility, not a reversal of his condemnation of violence. Gilchrist announced that he has held discussions with members of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Anti-Defamation League (ADL). 

“I heard you loud and clear that the nature of some of my comments and campaign rhetoric has been taken as antisemitic. I want to apologize for that,” Gilchrist said. 

Gilchrist acknowledged the trauma caused by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel, where Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages in the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Israel responded to the surprise attack with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and political rule in neighboring Gaza.

Gilchrist added that public officials have an obligation to speak with care about a war that began with what he described as a “brutal terrorist attack” and that continues to reverberate far beyond the Middle East.

“I firmly stand against antisemitism, and I vow to continue an open dialogue with this community,” Gilchrist stated. “I also believe in my heart that there is a place in the Democratic Party for the entire spectrum of the Jewish people and Jewish community, and I’ll make sure that that door remains wide open to them.”

However, Gilchrist later reaffirmed that he has not retracted his assertion that the war in Gaza is a “genocide” but expressed regret that his condemnations roiled his relations with the local Jewish community. 

Gilchrist also recently entered the Michigan secretary of state race after stepping away from a potential run for governor. The current lieutenant governor failed to gain traction in the race and failed to secure an endorsement from sitting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In his concession last week, Gilchrist released a video saying, “The time for me to serve in that role may come, but now is not that time.”

Skeptics have suggested that Gilchrist used allegations of “genocide” against Israel as part of an attempt to galvanize Michigan’s sizeable Arab Muslim community around his campaign. 

While rivals questioned his judgment and focus, Gilchrist argued that protecting democratic institutions and public trust requires leaders who understand how divisive rhetoric — especially around Israel and Gaza — can undermine social cohesion at home.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, another candidate in the secretary of state race, took a thinly veiled jab at Gilchrist over his incendiary commentary regarding Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

“I think it’s the responsibility of the secretary of state, and any statewide office holder, to push back against hate, and to continue to be supportive of all constituencies and unite the party,” Byrum said. “You will never have to worry about my words or actions being used as a reason for certain constituencies not to feel loved and welcomed in the Michigan Democratic Party.”

Following the Oct. 7 atrocities, the relationship between the US Democratic Party and the Jewish state has grown increasingly tense. Once relegated to the far-left reaches of the party, anti-Israel sentiment has migrated into the mainstream of American liberal politics. Traditionally moderate Democratic lawmakers have started to distance themselves from Israel, using harsh language to describe its military operations and refusing to accept assistance from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in the US.