US congressmen introduce resolution condemning Hasan Piker for alleged antisemitism
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Ghalia Mohamed
on
Thu, 04/30/2026 - 15:27
Piker rejected resolution, saying: 'I have spent my entire career combating all forms of bigotry including antisemitism and will continue to do'
Hasan Piker (L) and Candace Owens are the subjects of a House resolution introduced this week by Josh Gottheimer and Mike Lawler (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images/AFP and Jason Davis/Getty Images for DailyWire+/AFP)
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Two representatives in the US Congress introduced a bipartisan resolution this week calling for the condemnation of online political commentators Hasan Piker and Candace Owens over alleged antisemitism.
The resolution put forth by Democrat Josh Gottheimer and Republican Mike Lawler accuses the popular left-wing streamer Piker and right-wing podcaster Owens of amplifying “antisemitic narratives online” and contributing to an “increase of violence against Jewish individuals, institutions, and communities” in the US.
The resolution alleges that Piker has “often used antisemitic rhetoric, including expressing support for Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization”.
Meanwhile, it alleges that Owens “has employed rhetoric that has included conspiracy theories accusing Israel of controlling the United States Government, promoting false claims that Jews are taught by ancient religious texts to hate non-Jews, and casting doubt on the truth of the stories of Holocaust survivors".
In a statement to the Jewish Telegraph Agency, Piker condemned the resolution, saying: “They are once again conflating legitimate critics of Israel with actual antisemites. They would rather complain about fake antisemitism in defense of Israel than call out the real sources of Jew hatred with a full chest.
"I have spent my entire career combating all forms of bigotry including antisemitism and will continue to do so in spite (of) this cynical ploy to satisfy donors.”
In an Instagram story, Piker highlighted that Lawler voted against a war powers resolution aimed to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war on Iran - which ultimately did not pass - saying: "DID THIS DICKHEAD PUSH BACK THE WARPOWERS RESOLUTION TO PUSH THIS INSANE BILL?!”
He has also reposted several X posts criticising the move.
Owens has not publicly addressed the resolution.
Middle East Eye has reached out to both figures for comment.
'I don't need a nanny state'
The move was condemned by many social media users who accused the congressmen of "performative politics" and asked whether the representatives "had anything better to do".
"Yeah Candace and Hasan suck, why does congress need to do this at all though?" asked one user on Reddit, adding that the resolution would likely make the commentators even more popular.
congress when millions of americans ask for our tax dollars to fund healthcare instead of bombs https://t.co/0RTOhjgb65 pic.twitter.com/jvFQRvj8l6— matt (@mattxiv) April 29, 2026
Another agreed: "Fuck antisemitism, but I think it's really inappropriate for congress to condemn private citizens like this."
"I don’t need nanny state BIG government doing my hating for me," replied another.
Nobody can afford to eat I don’t give a fuck about what a twitch streamer says in a free country https://t.co/X6TMRWk91A— davey (@jerseyh0mo) April 29, 2026
Others pushed back against the labelling of Piker as antisemitic, arguing that the resolution conflated criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
One asked why lawmakers were "wasting time condemning a Twitch streamer for criticizing Israel instead of condemning Israel for committing genocide".
Many online also pointed out the timing of the resolution - during a cost of living crisis exacerbated by an unpopular war waged by the US and Israel against Iran.
You wouldn't know it, but we're at war with Iran, gas is hurling towards $5/gallon, and SCOTUS just gut the Voting Rights Act. https://t.co/zqGzEC6LZE— Kyle Blomquist for U.S. Congress (@BlomquistForMI) April 29, 2026
Kyle Blomquist, a Democratic candidate for Congress, said in a post: “You wouldn't know it, but we're at war with Iran, gas is hurling towards $5/gallon, and SCOTUS (Supreme Court) just gut the Voting Rights Act.”
Many users agreed, sharing grievances around their daily living expenses, with one saying “people can’t afford gas, food, or rent”.
https://t.co/SzMtTqVS60 pic.twitter.com/RKfCu3w91s— AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) April 29, 2026
Lawler and Gottheimer, both staunch supporters of Israel, last year introduced bill that would effectively criminalise boycotting the country.
The bill, known as the International Governmental Organization (IGO) Anti-Boycott Act, was pulled from Congress in May 2025 after backlash from right-wing politicians and podcasters who opposed it on free speech grounds.
Landing photo: Hasan Piker attends the 2025 Streamer Awards at The Wiltern on 6 December 2025 in Los Angeles, California (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Streamer Awards/AFP)
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