Warning or threat? Hasan Piker against US Jews: "Someone will come and act"
Hasan Piker claimed that Jewish institutions and American Jews identified with Israel are creating a dangerous situation for the community themselves - and argued that "eventually" they will be harmed: "I don't know how people don't understand how dangerous this situation is."
Progressive streamer Hasan Piker, who has become one of the most influential voices in the American left and among young people identified with the Democratic Party in recent months, caused another storm last week after speaking about the Jews of the United States and their connection to Israel. In a clip broadcast this week, Piker claimed that Jewish institutions and American Jews identified with Israel are creating a dangerous situation for the community themselves.
"You are running and actually linking your entire identity to the state," Piker said, adding that Jews and Jewish institutions present themselves as those who are "exclusively invested in Israel." He later warned: "I don't know how people don't understand how dangerous this situation is." According to him, if Jews in the United States continue to "present this idea" while "the public no longer supports Israel," they may provoke hostility towards themselves.
"Eventually someone will come and act," he said, clarifying that he meant action "not against the State of Israel, but against American Jews."
For many, Piker's words were not a warning - but a threat, in light of his consistent anti-Israel positions and his support for terrorist organizations. Piker, who is of Turkish descent, recently drew widespread criticism after also expressing admiration for the Chinese tyrant Mao Zedong, who is responsible for the murder and death of tens of millions of Chinese.
Piker does not hold an official position in the Democratic Party, but his status in the progressive camp has strengthened significantly. He has supported Democratic and socialist candidates, hosted politicians on his broadcasts, and appeared at campaign events for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the Senate in Michigan. Reuters described him this month as part of a new wave of left-wing media outlets helping progressive candidates bypass the party establishment and reach young people directly. The College Democrats organization also gave him a platform at its national convention, a move that sparked protest from Jewish activists in the organization.
The connection between Piker and El-Sayed has become a central issue in the struggle for the Jewish vote in Michigan. Rabbi Asher Lopatin, who announced that he would support Republican Mike Rogers, accused El-Sayed of turning Piker into a "campaign surrogate" and called him an "antisemite and racist." Piker himself rejects the accusations of antisemitism and claims that it is precisely the identification between Jews and Israel that fuels hatred of Jews. In an interview with JTA, he said that "antisemitism still exists" and condemned attacks against synagogues, but in the same breath claimed that the Democratic Party should become an "anti-Israel party."
The current statement fits into a broader controversy within the progressive camp surrounding Israel and the Jewish community. Piker has previously called Zionism a "racist ideology," said that Hamas is "a thousand times better" than Israel, and compared liberal Zionists to liberal Nazis. His critics argue that his growing acceptance among Democratic candidates and organizations gives legitimacy to positions that were previously considered extreme. From their perspective, the remarks illustrate how intense hostility to Israel can spill over into collective accusations against American Jews, even though Piker himself insists that he seeks to separate Jews from the State of Israel.
