Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., has unreservedly rejected remarks made by streamer Hasan Piker that suggested American Jews could face violence due to their association with support for Israel. Ossoff, who is Jewish, stated through a spokesperson that such rhetoric is "reckless and dangerous."
"American Jews and all Americans must have the freedom and security to speak out and petition their government without fear of reprisal," Ossoff said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The senator believes that any community, including the Jewish community, should not face the threat of violence for engaging in policy advocacy.
In response to Ossoff's condemnation, Piker declared a "credibility crisis" within the mainstream media and characterized the Georgia lawmaker as part of a "bought & sold political class." Piker had previously praised Ossoff, calling him a potential dark horse candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
Piker, addressing the wave of criticism he has received, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the media frenzy surrounding his comments demonstrates why many distrust institutions. He accused many organizations and media outlets of acting as "lapdogs for aipac with no care or consideration for nuance, the truth or how the majority feels about anything."
"This crisis of credibility for msm has been beneficial for me personally as an independent media personality," Piker stated. "but i still naively believe that these institutions are worth preserving and defending at a time when we have no consensus reality."
Piker also criticized the broader calls for political figures to condemn him, noting a shift from past political discourse. "in 3 years we went from ‘do you condemn hamas’ to ‘do you condemn hasan’ and israel is still a belligerent entity that is causing destruction, goading trump into war with iran & prominent dems are focusing on a critic of trump and israel instead of trump and israel itself. fools," he wrote.
Piker's initial controversial remarks, which have drawn condemnation from several Democratic lawmakers including Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., as well as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stated that "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."
Rep. Jeffries called the claim that American Jews were "inviting violence against themselves is dangerous and antisemitic," adding that "There is zero justification for threats against the safety of our Jewish brothers and sisters at a moment of rising hate."
Sen. Rosen described Piker's remarks as a "new low" and accused him of "trafficking in antisemitic tropes for a while." She argued that by "blaming Jewish Americans for the violence and hate they’re facing," Piker provided "an excuse to those perpetuating these anti-Jewish hate crimes."
Piker appeared to double down on his comments, suggesting the backlash was orchestrated by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).