Far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker stated that Hamas is now "far more moderate" than at its inception during a recent interview, a comment that has drawn sharp condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC).
Piker made the remarks during an interview with Channel 4 News UK, where he was pressed by host Matt Frei about his past statements regarding the terrorist group. "I think Hamas’s current position, as far as I understand it, is far more moderate than its position was at its inception," Piker said. "They've recognized that it's virtually impossible to advance this vengeance quest against Israel."
An ADL spokesperson rejected Piker's characterization, citing Hamas's October 7 attack and its actions in Gaza. "Hasan Piker's claim that Hamas has grown ‘more moderate’ is outrageous," the spokesperson stated. "Hamas remains a U.S.-designated terrorist organization committed to Israel's destruction, responsible for the October 7 massacre and continued abuse of the very Palestinians it claims to represent." The ADL added that any candidate or platform hosting Piker without challenge lends legitimacy to his rhetoric.
Sam Markstein, National Political Director for the Republican Jewish Coalition, also criticized Piker's comments. "There is nothing ‘moderate’ about Hamas, and there is nothing defensible about Hasan Piker," Markstein said. He pointed to Piker's previous statements, including expressing he would vote for Hamas over Israel, and his past appearances with political figures.
Markstein specifically highlighted Piker's association with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. "Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and a growing list of progressive Democrats are proud to campaign at his side," Markstein noted. "Every Democrat who has embraced Piker owes us a straight answer: 'Do you stand with his apologetics for a brutal terrorist organization, yes or no?'" He warned that Piker's rising influence within the Democratic Party signals a concerning direction for Jewish voters.
During the Channel 4 News interview, Frei presented Piker with accounts from Palestinian journalists describing Hamas as unpopular in Gaza and alleging the group has violently repressed dissent. Frei questioned why Piker framed Palestinian resistance through Hamas, given its treatment of Gazans and the October 7 attack.
Piker responded by attributing much of the violence and brutality in Hamas's governance to the ongoing Israeli occupation. "They exist under a colonial occupation. Gaza is a hermetically sealed open-air prison before October 7 as well," Piker said. "So I think a lot of the violence or the brutality in terms of governance stems from that. I don’t think it’s, like, an ideological disagreement." He further stated, "I don't care about Hamas's domestic functions. I just want the apartheid and the occupation to end."
Piker acknowledged that war crimes occurred on October 7 but maintained that Palestinians have a right to "resist militarily." He referenced Hamas's 2017 political document as evidence of the group's evolution, contrasting it with its original 1988 charter. The 2017 document outlined a Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders as a consensus position, though it did not explicitly recognize Israel or renounce armed resistance.
Hamas has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department since 1997. The Justice Department attributes nearly 1,200 deaths, including those of over 40 Americans, and hundreds of kidnappings to the October 7 attack.
Abdul El-Sayed, when asked about Piker's previous remark that America deserved 9/11, stated that it was a "dumb statement" which Piker himself had disavowed. El-Sayed confirmed that America did not deserve 9/11.