Left-wing commentator Hasan Piker’s remark that American Jews’ support of Israel invites violence against them has caused a public spat between Democrats in Michigan.
On an Aug. 20 livestream, Mr. Piker said, “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone’s going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel – mind you – but against American Jews.”
Boasting 3.1 million followers on the streaming platform Twitch, 1.9 million YouTube subscribers, and 1.7 million followers on X, Mr. Piker is a leading voice of the socialist left.
He was commenting on an audio recording that purports to capture Democratic Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss saying, “The entire purpose of my career is to make sure America continues to support Israel.”
Mr. Moss flatly denied saying this and says the audio is fabricated. It first gained traction after his primary opponent posted it on X.
Mr. Moss, who is Jewish, is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, which Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens is vacating after her unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid.
Mr. Piker says in the clip, “I don’t know how people don’t recognize how dangerous this predicament is, how dangerous this is for Jews.”
He added, “You’re running around basically tying your entire identity to a country that will inevitably be seen as basically Jewish ISIS, and you’re saying, ’As Jews, this is all we care about.’ … You’re making antisemitism worse.”
Rep. Hillary Scholten, a Michigan Democrat, condemned Mr. Piker’s remarks, saying they were a threat against Mr. Moss and American Jews in general.
“Hasan Piker’s calls for violence against American Jews, and directly naming a Michigan elected official (and future Congressional colleague) Jeremy Moss, are unacceptable. Full stop,” she wrote on social media.
Ms. Scholten also denounced Mr. Piker’s influence on American politics in general.
“Piker is a hack who thrives on hate, shock and awe because he lacks substance. It’s dangerous for everyone. We should all be calling out this disgusting rhetoric so it loses [its] grip on our politics once and for all. It has no place in Michigan, and no place in our country,” she said.
Ms. Scholten appeared to be taking a shot at Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, who campaigned alongside Mr. Piker multiple times.
Mr. Piker responded directly to Ms. Scholten on X, writing that he “wouldn’t spend so much time vying for the spotlight by actively defaming a prominent anti-Zionist voice to harm the [Democratic Senate] majority chances over a 90/10 issue.”
Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers also pointed to the clip and slammed Mr. El-Sayed for associating with Mr. Piker.
“Absolutely DISGUSTING. If Abdul El-Sayed had any courage at all, he would call this out and disavow Hasan Piker once and for all. We’re waiting, Abdul,” Mr. Rogers wrote on X.
Mr. El-Sayed, who narrowly won the Democratic nomination in August, has said he is not 100% aligned with Mr. Piker but has refused to disavow the streamer. He appeared on Mr. Piker’s program the day before the primary.
On Monday, Mr. El-Sayed released a statement distancing himself from Mr. Piker’s remarks.
“Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk,” he wrote. “While politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, good schools, and healthcare.”
The Michigan Senate race is considered a toss-up. Democrats likely need to win in the purple state to have a shot at controlling the Senate.
