House Bill Calls Out Hasan Piker, Candace Owens for Fueling Hatred of Jews

The House of Representatives will consider a bipartisan bill that targets social media personalities on the far ends of left and right for spreading antisemitic rhetoric and stoking extremism.The bill, introduced by Congressmen Mike Lawler and Josh Gottheimer on Wednesday, names a socialist streamer, Hasan Piker, and a right-wing podcaster, Candace Owens, for amplifying antisemitic rhetoric that the lawmakers warn contributes to “real-world harm” against Jewish people and institutions.The legislation urges public leaders to address and denounce such conduct, noting that online influence “carries a heightened responsibility to avoid rhetoric that promotes hatred, violence, or discrimination against any group, including Jewish individuals and communities.” It further calls on Congress to reaffirm its commitment to combating antisemitism.“Hatred is hatred, period. It doesn’t matter whether it comes from the far right or the far left,” Mr. Gottheimer said in a statement. “We cannot be selective in calling out antisemitism. When influential voices spread conspiracy theories, promote terrorism, or dehumanize Jewish people, it fuels real-world violence and intimidation. We must stand up and speak out.”Mr. Piker, a 34-year-old Turkish-American Twitch streamer, has built a significant following through lengthy livestreams offering left-wing commentary on politics and social issues. He has been embraced by the left as an influential voice for Gen Z socialists and Democrats. He is also a staunch opponent of Israel’s existence, identifying as an ardent anti-Zionist. Mr. Piker has drawn sharp criticism for justifying and downplaying Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre — dismissing reports of Hamas’s rape of Israeli women as “rape fantasies” and “rape hallucinations” — and for expressing open support for the terror organization.He has said Hamas is “a thousand times better than” Israel, which he has called “the fascist settler colonial apartheid state.” He has also trafficked in antisemitic rhetoric, calling Orthodox Jews “inbred” and comparing Zionists to Nazis.Beyond his commentary on Israel, Mr. Piker has ignited controversy by claiming America “deserved 9/11” and urging California tenants to “murder” their landlords “in the streets” and “let the streets soak in their fucking red capitalist blood.” Messers. Lawler and Gottheimer, citing many such examples, state that Mr. Piker “has often used antisemitic rhetoric, including expressing support for Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization.” Mr. Piker responded to the legislation by accusing the congressmen of “making antisemitism worse,” and suggesting that they are “once again conflating legitimate critics of Israel with actual antisemites.” He went on to claim that Messrs. Lawler and Gottheimer “would rather complain about fake antisemitism in defense of Israel than call out the real sources of Jew hatred with a full chest,” and insisted he has spent his “entire career combating all forms of bigotry including antisemitism.”On the other side of the spectrum, the bill accuses Ms. Owens of employing “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.”Ms. Owens became a familiar name while working for Ben Shapiro’s conservative media outlet The Daily Wire, but parted ways with the company in 2024, reportedly over her rhetoric and increasingly strident criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza.Since then, she has become one of the most prominent promoters of antisemitic conspiracy theories, pushing claims on her YouTube channel that Israel was behind the assassination of Charlie Kirk, that Jews murder and consume Christian children as part of religious rituals, and the centuries-old canard that the Jewish people orchestrated the transatlantic slave trade.“Piker has openly applauded Hamas’ terrorism, downplayed the mass rape of civilians on October 7th, and dehumanized Orthodox Jews as ‘inbred.’ Owens has trafficked in vile conspiracy theories, promoted blood libels, and platformed Holocaust deniers,” Mr. Lawler said in a statement. “With an audience of millions, they have a responsibility to confront hatred and bigotry in every form, not to amplify it to the masses. So if they won’t call it out, I will.”

House Bill Calls Out Hasan Piker, Candace Owens for Fueling Hatred of Jews

House Bill Calls Out Hasan Piker, Candace Owens for Fueling Hatred of Jews

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