Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is urging Democrats to “stop wasting time attacking Hasan Piker” to ensure progressives aren’t “demotivated” to stay home this election cycle.
“Too many demotivated Democrats stayed home in 2016 and 2024. We can’t repeat past mistakes,” Khanna posted on X. “Quit calling @BernieSanders an ‘antisemite.’ Stop wasting time attacking Hasan Piker instead of Trump’s robber baron corruption.”
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“Don’t put Israel hawks out of touch with our voters in charge of our Middle East policy,” he added. “It is time for a reckoning: are we a party that represents corporate interests and super PACs, or will we represent the American people?”
The post comes as internal divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel and antisemitism have flared into the open. Piker, a socialist online personality and surrogate for socialists running this cycle, is facing condemnation and fresh accusations of antisemitism for saying Jewish Americans are inviting violence upon themselves for supporting Israel.
At least 10 high-profile Democrats have denounced the comments, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
“The malicious claim that American Jews are inviting violence against themselves is dangerous and antisemitic,” Jeffries said. “We will fight the cancer of antisemitism with the fierce urgency of now.”
Progressives, however, have sought to minimize Piker’s influence by labeling him as just a “Twitch streamer.” Khanna, a critic of Israel who has appeared on Piker’s Twitch stream, has not commented publicly on the socialist influencer’s most recent controversy.
Khanna did, however, appear to criticize Jeffries and House Democrats for appointing Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), who is Jewish and pro-Israel, to a top committee assignment with oversight of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
JEWISH HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS OUT EL SAYED FOR REFUSING TO ‘CONDEMN THE WORDS OF HASAN PIKER’
Moskowtiz was named the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesday. If Democrats retake the House in November, Moskowtiz would be positioned to chair the panel, giving him a prominent perch over legislation and oversight involving Israel and the broader region.
“Translation,” said former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes of the appointment, a “giant f*** you from Democratic leadership to Democratic voters.”
