Hasan Piker Blames Israel for Jewish Voters Leaving Democrats, Critics Cite Antisemitic Trope
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker attributed a 36-point drop in Democratic support among New York Jewish voters to their backing of Israel, drawing sharp criticism from Jewish leaders who say the shift reflects deeper concerns about safety and party leadership.
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has drawn sharp criticism after attributing a significant decline in Democratic support among New York Jewish voters to their backing of Israel, a claim that critics say traffics in an antisemitic trope.
Piker made the remarks Wednesday on X, responding to a CNN segment in which chief data analyst Harry Enten and anchor John Berman discussed recent Siena Polling showing Jewish support for Democratic candidates in New York has fallen dramatically. According to the polling averages, Democrats' advantage over Republicans among Jewish voters in the state has narrowed by 36 points since 2022.
«It's wild that this many jewish voters are leaving the democratic party over israel,» Piker wrote. «It's not like the republican alternatives are presenting a more appealing policy agenda, it's just israel! It's literally over the continuation of israel's belligerence. A real shame.»
Enten, presenting the data on air, noted that Democrats led among Jewish voters by 40 points in 2018 and 49 points in 2022. The average of polls this year shows that lead has shrunk to just 13 points. «That is a shift of, what, 36 points, 36 points away from the Democrats,» Enten said. «Their lead has absolutely tumbled into the Hudson River among Jewish voters.»
The analyst added that while Democrats remain ahead, the numbers represent historically strong support for Republicans among Jewish voters. He suggested that developments over the past few years have had a major impact on how Jewish voters in New York say they will vote, not just for governor but for Congress as well.
Piker's assertion that the shift is solely about Israel drew immediate backlash. Sam Markstein, communications director for the Republican Jewish Coalition, told Fox News Digital that Piker's statement «plays directly into the oldest antisemitic trope of dual loyalty.» Markstein said Piker is «flat out wrong» and is «trivializing the very real spike in Jew hatred which directly threatens our community's safety.»
Markstein argued that American Jews are leaving the Democratic Party because its leadership «continues to elevate, embrace and appease the most radicalized elements of their anti-America extremist party base.» He also pointed to Piker's past comments, including a statement that «America deserved 9/11,» and noted that the streamer has been elevated by national Democrats, including campaigning with Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Shai Davidai, a former Columbia University professor and author of «American Intellectual Antisemitism,» also responded on X, writing, «It's not 'over Israel.' It's over people like you.»
New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz offered a broader critique, arguing that Jewish voters have reasons to move away from Democrats that extend beyond Israel. «Even setting aside support for Israel, which Jews should absolutely not, Jews are regularly assaulted in NY and no Democrats care,» she wrote. «They aren't allowed to defend themselves and the mayor regularly riles up the attackers. Easy call to vote Republican.»
The controversy is not Piker's first. In August, he faced condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle after saying, «People don't f--- with Israel any longer. And if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they're singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone will come around and take action not against Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.» Critics accused him of blaming Jews for antisemitic attacks against them.
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan condemned those remarks, stating, «This shouldn't be hard: no community should face the threat [of] violence for their political views. Period.» She added that blaming victims of violence «only further endangers people.» Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada called the comments «a new low,» saying that blaming Jewish Americans for the violence and hate they face «provides an excuse to those perpetuating these anti-Jewish hate crimes.»
Other Democrats who joined the condemnation included Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, Jared Moskowitz, Brad Schneider, Greg Stanton, and Hillary Scholten. Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic Senate nominee who had campaigned with Piker, distanced himself from the streamer following the backlash.
The polling shift among Jewish voters in New York comes amid a broader national debate over the Democratic Party's approach to Israel and rising concerns about antisemitic incidents. The Siena data suggests that a constituency that has historically voted overwhelmingly Democratic is now significantly more open to Republican candidates, a trend that could have implications for competitive House races in the state.
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