El-Sayed distances himself from Hasan Piker as Jewish Democrats question his Israel stance
If not necessarily a sharp pivot, El-Sayed’s words, coming from a strident Israel critic in his own right, still represented an acknowledgement that his biggest campaign surrogate poses problems.
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has distanced himself from his prominent supporter, anti-Israel livestreamer Hasan Piker, following Piker's controversial comments about American Jews. The remarks, made during a Twitch livestream on August 20, were interpreted by some party leaders as justifying threats against Jewish Americans.
Piker compared Israel to "Jewish ISIS" and called it "Jewish ISIS." He also linked a story about pro-Israel Jewish Democrat Jeremy Moss, who was running for Congress in Michigan at the time. In response, El-Sayed reiterated his commitment to Jewish safety and denounced any rhetoric that puts the community at risk. Several Jewish Democrats, including Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin and Democratic nominee for Congress Micah Lasher, condemned Piker's comments, deeming them to be an example of ancient Jew hatred.
Piker defended his remarks, stating they were not a threat to Jews but a warning about how their support for Israel might be perceived.
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