Hasan Piker blames AIPAC as Democrats condemn his remarks on Jews

Left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has blamed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for a wave of Democratic condemnations touched off by his comments suggesting that American Jews’ support for Israel invites violence against them.

Writing on X, Mr. Piker said an “AIPAC boss call was made” and that the lawmakers criticizing him were “unanimous in their hatred,” adding that he welcomed it. In a second post, he suggested tallying how much the Democrats who denounced him had received from AIPAC, a Washington-based pro-Israel lobbying organization that he characterized as a foreign government lobby backed by MAGA billionaires. Fox News Digital, which first reported Mr. Piker’s response, said AIPAC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The remarks that prompted the backlash came during an Aug. 20 livestream. Mr. Piker displayed a photograph of Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Jewish Democrat who won the primary for an open U.S. House seat, and said that if Jews in America keep insisting they are singularly invested in Israel, “eventually someone is going to come around and take action” — not against Israel, he said, but against American Jews. He also referred to Israel as “Jewish ISIS,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s account of the stream.

At least 10 congressional Democrats have since criticized him, including Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Jacky Rosen of Nevada; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; and Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, Jared Moskowitz, Brad Schneider, Greg Stanton and Hillary Scholten.

Mr. Jeffries, in a social media post that did not name Mr. Piker, called the “malicious claim that American Jews are inviting violence against themselves” both dangerous and antisemitic, and pledged to fight antisemitism “with the fierce urgency of now.” In a CNN interview Tuesday, he addressed the streamer’s comments directly, saying they were malicious and should not be tolerated by anyone in the public square. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin drew a similar line, saying criticism of the Israeli government is one thing and blaming American Jews for threats against them “is something else entirely.”

Ms. Scholten, vice chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, was among the sharpest. In a statement Monday, she called Mr. Piker “a hack who thrives on hate, shock and awe because he lacks substance.” Mr. Gottheimer said the only person inciting violence against American Jews is Mr. Piker himself, JNS reported, and warned that anyone campaigning with him is “part of the problem.”

Brian Romick, president and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, dismissed the AIPAC accusation as “a baseless conspiracy theory” in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying candidates who want to win should have nothing to do with the streamer.

The dispute has landed hardest on Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, who campaigned alongside Mr. Piker in his primary victory over Rep. Haley Stevens. Mr. El-Sayed distanced himself from the remarks but stopped short of directly condemning or disavowing the streamer, saying Monday on X that all Americans deserve to advocate for their beliefs without fear of violence, that his commitment to Jewish safety matches his commitment to his own daughters’ safety, and that he stands against rhetoric putting the community at risk.

Mr. Piker has not backed down. He told JTA the controversy would not change his views or his support for Mr. El-Sayed and defended the remarks as a warning about how support for Israel might be construed rather than a threat.