WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, distanced himself Monday from progressive commentator Hasan Piker, who suggested that some pro-Israel rhetoric may lead to backlash against American Jews.
The controversy could complicate El-Sayed's campaign as he tries to unify Democrats in a battleground state that will help decide control of the U.S. Senate.
El Sayed is one of several Democratic candidates this year who harnessed Piker's online megaphone to appeal to younger voters, and they appeared together at campaign events during the primary, but last week's comments may have cooled the relationship.
Wearing a suit and tie during one of his typically hours-long livestreams, Piker argued against the idea that opposing Israel is antisemitic. American Jews are not uniformly supportive of Israel, he said, but many “Jewish institutions” are “teaching people the idea that Jews are monolithic" and "its a very dangerous mode of propaganda.”
“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,” he said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, issued a sharply critical statement.
“The malicious claim that American Jews are inviting violence against themselves is dangerous and antisemitic,” he said on social media. “There is zero justification for threats against the safety of our Jewish brothers and sisters at a moment of rising hate.”
El-Sayed issued his own statement later in the day.
“I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence," he said. “This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past.”
He also said “antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms” and "nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople.”
“And while politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools and healthcare,” El-Sayed added.
Piker’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On another livestream Monday, he called El-Sayed’s statement “neutral” and described the outrage as a “smear." He argued that he wasn’t advocating violence but warning against the rhetoric that could.
El-Sayed's Republican opponent, former congressman Mike Rogers, said El-Sayed's response was inadequate.
“El-Sayed doesn’t have the guts to disavow his running mate,” Rogers said. He said the Democratic nominee is "unfit to represent our state.”
Piker's previous statements has been controversial, including a past comment that “Hamas is a thousand times better” than Israel.
Some Democrats urged El-Sayed to go further in responding to Piker's comments.
“I want Abdul to win desperately, but the most predictable thing in the world was that Piker would inevitably become a serious liability in a general election," Tré Easton, a Democratic strategist, wrote on social media. "If you care about Abdul’s campaign succeeding, you should want him to distance himself from Piker clearly and directly."
