CDA Convention Sparks Jewish Caucus Outcry Over Hasan Piker Appearance

At the College Democrats of America (CDA) national convention in Washington, DC, the organization announced far-left influencer Hasan Piker as a “surprise speaker” just hours before the event began.

Jewish Insider

CDA is the official collegiate arm of the Democratic National Committee. The convention, held Thursday to Sunday, featured speakers such as Rep. Jamie Raskin, AFT president Randi Weingarten, and socialist candidate Melat Kiros.

The Jerusalem Post

Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer and political commentator, has a documented history of antisemitic and anti-Zionist remarks, including calling some Jews “inbred,” labeling a Jewish man a “bloodthirsty, violent pig-dog,” and defending Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. Earlier this year he appeared at a Web Summit press conference, underscoring his media profile.

Times of Israel

• CDA reports a membership of more than 100,000 college students nationwide.

Jewish Insider

• J Street U contributed “a couple thousand dollars” for an exhibit table.

The Jerusalem Post

• CDA framed its presence at the convention as a “bulwark against extremism.”

The Jerusalem Post

• College Democrats of America: No comment on the speaker selection or the caucus’s demands.

Jewish Insider

• Democratic National Committee: Declined to comment.

Jewish Insider

• Nadav Pollak, lecturer at Reichman University, called J Street’s sponsorship a “new low,” arguing a pro-Israel organization should not endorse an event featuring a known anti-Israel figure.

The Jerusalem Post

• Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat and vocal pro-Israel advocate, said, “Even Jewish kinds of organizations like J Street are doing events with people like Hasan Piker.”

The Jerusalem Post

• Additional pro-Israel voices, including author Dan Senor, former coach Bruce Pearl, and historian Sara Yael Hirschhorn, denounced the co-sponsorship.

The Jerusalem Post

• “No more to the Democrats who collaborate and cooperate with the fascists, who will fund ICE, who will fund Israel … we don’t need those Democrats anymore,” — Hasan Piker

Jewish Insider

• “If J Street knew that he is one of the key speakers and still sponsored this event, it’s a new low,” — Nadav Pollak

The Jerusalem Post

• “Even Jewish kinds of organizations like J Street are doing events with people like Hasan Piker,” — Sen. John Fetterman

The Jerusalem Post