Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic Senate nominee, is facing scrutiny due to his campaign’s connections with far-left streamer Hasan Piker. Piker’s comments on Jewish Americans and their support for Israel have invited backlash, urging Democrats to distance themselves.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer highlighted the growing concerns regarding antisemitism on the far-left during an appearance on ‘America Reports.’
Democratic Senators Elissa Slotkin from Michigan and Jacky Rosen from Nevada publicly condemned Piker for suggesting that Jewish Americans would face consequences for their stance on Israel. Last week, Piker told his audience, “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.”
Slotkin, who may consider a presidential run in 2028, responded to Piker’s comments, emphasizing that no community should face violence for their political views. She stated, “That goes if you’re pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, pro-choice, pro-life or any other cause you care about. And blaming the victims of violence for bringing it on themselves only further endangers people.”
She addressed the larger issue of normalized political violence, noting the recent rise in antisemitism and a nearly deadly event of anti-semitic violence at Temple Israel in Michigan six months ago. “No one should casually suggest that anyone, Jews or otherwise, are to blame for being targeted,” Slotkin concluded.
Rosen echoed Slotkin’s sentiments, criticizing Piker’s remarks as reaching “a new low.” She declared, “Blaming Jewish Americans for the violence and hate they’re facing is not just wrong, it provides 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.”
El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, previously argued that he does not need to answer for all of Piker’s statements. However, he chose to distance himself from the recent controversy.
Many politicians, including Democrats, have criticized Piker’s tendency to blame the Jewish community for violence against them. Piker’s history includes controversial remarks like “America deserved 9/11” and support for a desire to “impoverish the White middle-class.”