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Hasan Piker’s recent remarks about American Jews’ support for Israel have drawn the ire of several Democratic lawmakers who have spoken out against him. The Twitch streamer has since blamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) for the backlash and welcomed the criticism with open arms.
“AIPAC boss call was made. they are unanimous in their hatred of me, and i welcome their hatred. if you’re a defender of israel’s genocide, of its occupation, of its child killing spree — then your boos mean nothing to me,” Piker wrote in a post on X. He was responding to a post featuring images of statements put out by several Democrats condemning him.
Later, in response to a list of Democrats who had criticized him, Piker suggested that someone tabulate the total amount of money that the group had received from AIPAC, the prominent pro-Israel lobbying organization.
“We should calculate how much the aipac total is for all these candidates so we know how much the maga billionaire backed foreign govt lobby got prominent dems to keep the attention on an antizionist twitch streamer thru lies, instead of trumps admin in these critical midterms,” he wrote.
ANTISEMITIC STREAMER FINALLY MAKES DEM LEADER SNAP WITH RARE REBUKE: ‘MALICIOUS’
Piker is no stranger to controversy, and his latest remarks have sparked a series of condemnations from Democrats.
President & CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel Brian Romick dismissed Piker’s claim against AIPAC in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, calling it “a baseless conspiracy theory.”
“Hasan Piker has built his brand by peddling conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric. Rather than take responsibility for his own odious remarks, he is now promoting a baseless conspiracy theory to explain the entirely predictable backlash against him,” Romick’s statement read. “We’re pleased that so many Democratic officials have forcefully condemned his comments. Candidates who want to win should have nothing to do with him.”
During a recent stream, Piker told his viewers, “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.”
Several Democratic lawmakers have spoken out against Piker since he made those comments, including Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; and Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Brad Schneider, D-Ill., Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., and Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.
Rosen condemned the remarks as a “new low” for Piker, who she said had been “trafficking in antisemitic tropes for a while.” She went on to say that by “blaming Jewish Americans for the violence and hate they’re facing,” Piker provided “an excuse to those perpetuating these anti-Jewish hate crimes.”
“Let me be absolutely clear: crimes against Jews for being Jews is antisemitism plain and simple. There’s no excuse for it,” she added.
SOME DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY DISGUSTED BY HASAN PIKER BUT ARE AFRAID TO PUBLICLY CRITICIZE HIM, HOUSE DEM CLAIMS
Jeffries said the claim that American Jews were “inviting violence against themselves is dangerous and antisemitic.”
“There is zero justification for threats against the safety of our Jewish brothers and sisters at a moment of rising hate,” the House minority leader added. “We will fight the cancer of antisemitism with the fierce urgency of now.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also condemned Piker’s remarks, saying, “Criticizing the policies and actions of the Israeli government is one thing. Blaming American Jews for the hatred, threats, and violence directed at them is something else entirely. It is dangerous, wrong, and antisemitic.”
Piker’s role in Democratic politics has been a hot topic among party members, as some have chosen to appear with him, while others have criticized his rhetoric. One candidate who embraced Piker during his campaign was Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
El-Sayed was widely criticized for appearing with Piker during his primary campaign against Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who he defeated. While El-Sayed has yet to offer a full-throated condemnation of Piker’s rhetoric, he appeared to distance himself from the controversial streamer on Monday as the backlash against Piker unfolded.
EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS
“I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past,” El-Sayed wrote on X.
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters,” he added. “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.”
Piker has remained defiant amid the backlash, portraying Democratic criticism as being an AIPAC-driven campaign against him.
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Fox News Digital reached out to AIPAC for comment on Piker’s accusation but did not immediately receive a response.
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