Michigan Rabbi Asher Lopatin recently spoke about how while he usually voted for Democrats, he will not be voting for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
“You know, not accepting the state of Israel, calling Israel “bloodthirsty” and his relationship to Hasan Piker were really problematic,” Lopatin told The Journal. “He campaigned with Piker, and had Piker at parties. El-Sayed has said Michigan school don’t have enough money because it’s going to Israel. It’s beyond the pale.”
After a March attack in which Ayman Mohamed Ghazali attempted to drive his truck into Temple Israel in Bloomfieldwhile there were many Jewish children inside, a security guard, Danny Phillips confronted him and was injured. Ghazali ultimately killed himself. No children were harmed as the truck didn’t get inside the building.
El-Sayed response was “hurt people hurt people.” Ghazali had family members killed in a strike by Israel in Lebanon, with media reports claiming some may have been Hezbollah members and some not. But to imply that we should expect this kind of stuff to happen was inappropriate, Lopatin said.
El-Sayed apologized, five months later, but his language did not indicate a sincere apology, Lopatin said, as he said he was sorry if people misconstrued what he said.
Lopatin considers it to be a “nonapology apology.”
“I think unfortunately that many will accept this,” Lopatin said. “He did say he feels bad and didn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. But he doubles down on his idea of context that this attack came due to what was happening in the Middle East which is very similar to what Hasan Piker says – if Jews singular support Israel, they have it coming to them. I’m sure El-Sayed would not call for violence against Jews, and I don’t think Piker would directly do that, but it’s basically saying blame Israel and Jews if an attack happens on Jews in America.”
“(El Sayed) did say he feels bad and didn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. But he doubles down on his idea of context that this attack came due to what was happening in the Middle East which is very similar to what Hasan Piker says – if Jews singular support Israel, they have it coming to them.”
When El-Sayed brought Piker to Michigan to campaign, Lopatin said many Jewish residents there mainly knew that Piker a popular antisemitic Twitch streamer but didn’t know the extent of antisemitic things he had said. Most were unaware he referred to ultra-Orthodox Jews as “inbred,” likened liberal Zionists to liberal Nazis andsaid he hated America and America deserved 9/11.
Despite his statements, The New York Times and Rolling Stone did glowing profiles of Piker, and it was clear some Democrats were hoping Piker could help Democrats win as Joe Rogan may have helped Trump with his podcast.
In June, Piker was not allowed to enter England, a move that likely gave Piker more prominence and attention.
“Jews in Michigan who didn’t know Hasan Piker before found out about him now,” Lopatin said.
Piker set off a furor by saying that “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually, someone’s going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.”
El-Sayed issued a statement distancing himself. He also referred to Piker as a California Twitch streamer, but when a Fox News reporter asked El-Sayed why he brought Piker to Michigan, he didn’t answer. When another reporter asked if El-Sayed would disavow Piker, who has nearly two million YouTube subscribers and is one of the top Twitch streamers, with more than 3 million followers, he didn’t answer.
Lopatin said he’d hoped primary challenger Haley Stevens would defeat El-Sayed.
“I wasn’t surprised El-Sayed won,” he said. “Stevens had a poor campaign, but I am in no way blaming her. I coulnd’t get a lawn sign. It took two months.”
He said many Jews in Michigan are worried.
“El-Sayed has still not disavowed Hasan Piker,” he said. “Jews who are voting for Abdul El-Sayed definitely have concerns. But I think he will work on that. I know he is doing some outreach. He’s a very brilliant politician and a brilliant speaker. He knows how to work the system.”
Lopatin said Piker uses the classic antisemitic trope of blaming the victim, which is never acceptable, as there is no excuse to justify terrorism.
Separate from that, it is obviously fair to criticize Israel, and critique for example, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his outlandish statements.
It is possible that El-Sayed’s connection to Piker could hurt and cause him to lose in November, but it is also possible that the furor will die down by election time and El-Sayed will win.
Lopatin is the leader of the Modern Orthodox synagogue Kehillat Etz Chayim, in Oak Park. He is a Rhodes Scholar and has had many Jewish leadership roles, but stressed his opinion is of a personal nature.
Lopatin said even candidates who support Israel nationally should speak more forcefully.
Social media, he admitted, is a powerful weapon to spread antisemitism and that in the real world, many Jews are hesitant to speak up.
“Jews have to be more courageous and out there,” Lopatin said. “Obviously, I don’t condone violence or breaking the law, but we should be out there being heard. We’re not. We cower. We need to wear kipot and wear Jewish stars. Jewish communities have become complacent and that’s not how it should be.”
Many were surprised that El-Sayed would agree to go on Fox News, and he was interviewed by Jesse Watters. El-Sayed was quick on his feet and at times gave skillful answers but repeatedly dodged questions, and asked Watters if he was circumcised and compared that to what is called gender reassignment surgery for children, to which Watters said there was no comparison.
Lopatin said he had not seen the interview.
The Epic-MRA poll has El-Sayed leading Republican candidate Mike Rogers 47% to 43% with 10% undecided.
Will the race between El-Sayed and Rogers get tighter? Only time will tell.
El-Sayed and Rogers are scheduled to debate on Oct. 8, and the election is Nov. 3.
