Hasan Piker controversy worries Democrats before midterms

Hasan Piker, a left-wing Twitch commentator with about three million followers, has become a concern for some Democrats before the November US midterm elections as Republicans focus criticism on his comments about Israel and Jewish safety.

Democratic congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan pushed back at a reelection rally on Wednesday when asked about Piker. “I am done! So don't any reporter ask me again about Hasan Piker. It's not what November is about,” she said.

Democrats are wary that Piker, who has been accused of antisemitism, could distract from their criticism of President Donald Trump's economic record.

The controversy intensified after Piker said on Twitch on August 20 that Jews who openly support Israel were making a dangerous situation for Jews. He said people were tying their identity to a country that would be seen as “Jewish ISIS” and were “making anti-Semitism worse.”

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate running for a US Senate seat after winning the Democratic nomination, had campaigned with Piker earlier this year. El-Sayed later distanced himself, saying Monday that antisemitism was a “scourge” and that his commitment to Jewish safety was the same as his commitment to the safety of his own daughters.

Elissa Slotkin, a Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, also condemned the remarks, saying no community should face the threat of violence for its political views.

Piker rejected the criticism on Wednesday from his California studio. “I fought against antisemitism my whole life,” he said, and called himself the target of a “coordinated smear campaign” and Islamophobia.

Piker was born in the United States to Turkish parents and began his media career on “The Young Turks,” a left-leaning online political news platform founded by his uncle. He identifies as a “socialist” and “anti-imperialist.”

He drew attention in 2019 when he said, “America deserved 9-11, dude,” a comment he later walked back.

Piker has said he does not intend to change his rhetoric on Israel and argues that his stance is gaining ground in the United States. A Pew Research Center poll conducted in May found that 62 percent of respondents held a negative view of Israeli authorities, compared with 51 percent in April 2019. The poll found 52 percent held positive views of the Israeli people, down from 62 percent in April 2019.