Michigan Democrats Divided Over Senate Candidate's Alliance with Controversial Streamer Hasan Piker

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faces growing backlash for planning rallies with Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer whose comments on Israel and antisemitism have divided the progressive movement.

The controversy erupts just weeks after the Temple Israel synagogue shooting in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where a gunman drove his vehicle into the building and killed at least one person. The attack has deeply shaken Michigan's Arab American and Muslim communities, who are already reeling from Israel's ongoing assault on Lebanon, which has displaced more than 1 million civilians.

"The Arab community, their voice and their pain has been rendered insignificant or, even worse, an inconvenient aspect of our political situation," El-Sayed told a pro-Palestinian podcast.

El-Sayed, who was born in Michigan to Egyptian immigrant parents, is locked in a tight three-way race with state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. McMorrow and other pro-Israel figures have labeled Piker antisemitic and sought to distance El-Sayed from his association.

"Abdul El-Sayed's decision to host campaign rallies with Piker is not just alarming; it's absolutely shocking," Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, told JTA. "That this is happening in Michigan, where Temple Israel was targeted in a violent antisemitic attack … makes it even more egregious."

The Hillel at Michigan State University said it was "deeply troubled" by Piker's planned visit to campus. At least one planned speaker, state Rep. Carrie Rheingans, backed out of the rallies citing concerns about her Jewish constituents.

El-Sayed has defended his decision, saying he agrees with Piker on some issues but not others. Their points of agreement, he said, include criticism of AIPAC and the way it has dominated U.S. foreign policy.

"I love and revere the Jewish people because I love ALL people. And I criticize Israel's genocide because I love ALL people," El-Sayed tweeted in response to Greenblatt's criticism. "I pray someday you understand."

Piker, who has 3 million followers on Twitch, frequently expresses sympathy for the Palestinian people and criticizes Israel's wars. He called the Temple Israel attack a "heinous act of violence" but also criticized Israel's offensive in Lebanon.

"Some in the Democratic party haven't learned from 2024," Basim Elkarra, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations Action, said after speaking with The Guardian. "Especially in a battleground state, I think they're going to suffer the consequences in 2028 if they don't rectify their strategy."

Michigan holds the nation's largest Arab American population per capita in the United States, anchored by a huge Lebanese diaspora largely from southern Lebanon. Virtually every one of Michigan's 120,000 Lebanese Americans has family members or friends who have been displaced or killed by Israel's military action, Arab American leaders said.

"There is an asymmetry of compassion and asymmetry of political pressure – Arabs get the pressure and Israel gets compassion," James Zogby, a Lebanese American member of the Democratic National Committee, told The Guardian. "No one will pay attention to the human element of the situation, which is that their ancestral village is gone, and their homes demolished."

El-Sayed and Piker are set to appear with Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and candidates for local office at both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. El-Sayed recently told a pro-Palestinian podcast that Piker's past comments have been "taken out of context," adding that the streamer represents "where the disaffected people are."

The rally controversy comes as both Piker and El-Sayed face scrutiny over their comments about Jews and Israel. Piker has increasingly divided Democrats, with a Jewish congressman from Illinois recently calling him "an unapologetic antisemite" even as some colleagues have continued to appear with him on his streaming show.

El-Sayed's campaign recently told a local blog that he witnessed comments from the candidate that the staffer thought would "give credibility to the claims of [El-Sayed's] antisemitism and pro-Islamist regimes/factions" before resigning. The blog did not report any specifics.

"Personally, I regret and feel shame for excusing antisemitism and for not leaving sooner," the former staffer said.

El-Sayed has the endorsement of some progressive Jews including former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin and recently raised eyebrows with his response to the Temple Israel attack. He condemned the attack but also criticized Israel's offensive in Lebanon, where the attacker's brother was killed.

The controversy highlights deep divisions within Michigan's Democratic Party as it navigates the Middle East conflict and prepares for the upcoming election. El-Sayed and McMorrow are both campaigning on positions that could appeal to different segments of the electorate, with the race tightening as both sides build momentum ahead of the May 5 primary.