College Democrats' Jewish Caucus Demands Apology Over Hasan Piker Hosting

The Jewish caucus within the College Democrats of America has issued a strong condemnation of their parent organization for hosting controversial far-left streamer Hasan Piker at its national convention. The caucus declared Piker's appearance a "direct threat to Jewish safety and inclusion" within the College Democrats community.

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The normalization of Piker and his rhetoric in CDA-sanctioned programming is a direct threat to Jewish safety and inclusion within the College Democrats community.

Piker, known for his extremist rhetoric, has a documented history of making offensive statements. These include repeatedly calling some Jewish people "inbred," labeling a Jewish man a "bloodthirsty, violent pig-dog," and downplaying Hamas's sexual violence during the October 2023 invasion of Israel. His past comments also include misogynistic jokes and claims that "America deserved 9/11."

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Applying a double standard to the safety and representation of Jewish students is a manifestation of antisemitism and is inconsistent with our shared Democratic values.

The Jewish caucus stated that normalizing Piker's rhetoric within College Democrats programming is antisemitic and contradicts Democratic values. They argued that applying a double standard to the safety and representation of Jewish students is unacceptable. "Elevating Piker at this convention sent Jewish students a clear message that they were not welcome," the caucus said in a statement. They asserted that the same standards applied to bigotry from the right should be enforced within their own organization.

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Elevating Piker at this convention sent Jewish students a clear message that they were not welcome.

Members of the caucus expressed shock and dismay upon learning of Piker's inclusion, particularly after having already committed time and resources to attend the convention. One caucus member, who requested anonymity, told The Times of Israel that many attendees felt uncomfortable and unwelcome, questioning their place within the group as Jews. Plans for a protest walkout during Piker's speech were reportedly thwarted by convention organizers, who cited "security concerns" to prevent participants from leaving the room. This action further exacerbated feelings of exclusion and frustration among the Jewish students present.

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Many, many attendees were upset because we had already invested so much of our time and money into coming and we had no idea that someone like him would be speaking to us, representing our cause. It was shocking, it was upsetting and it felt uncomfortable. Just personally speaking, I no longer felt like I really had a place there as a Jew.