(The Center Square) – A pair of Democrats who lead the Pennsylvania Legislative Jewish Caucus are criticizing U.S. Rep. Summer Lee for her decision to campaign alongside a controversial left-wing social media influencer.
“We are deeply alarmed by reports that Rep. Summer Lee plans to campaign alongside Hasan Piker, a commentator who has repeatedly trafficked in antisemitic statements,” state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said in an X post on Monday, along with state Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks.
Lee, D-12th District, is scheduled to participate in two rallies on college campuses Tuesday in Michigan in support of U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Piker, who is also listed as a speaker for both rallies, has been criticized by some Democrats and Republicans alike. Among the comments from Piker that have garnered the most pushback include him saying that “America deserved 9/11,” once referring to Haredi Orthodox Jews as “inbred,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and his response to the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.
“At a time when Jewish communities are facing rising threats and harassment, public officials have an obligation to be unequivocal about the voices they elevate and the company they keep,” Frankel and Schwank said.
The co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Legislative Jewish Caucus noted that Lee canceled a speaking engagement in 2024 over backlash that she was set to be “on a stage with speakers known for extremist and antisemitic rhetoric.”
“It is not too late to make that same choice again, refusing to legitimize intolerance,” Frankel and Schwank write. “Dehumanizing language creates an environment where hatred is emboldened and violence becomes more likely.”
“We lived that tragic reality in 2018, when a gunman shouted ‘all Jews must die’ as he murdered 11 Jews in their Squirrel Hill synagogues, and we saw it just weeks ago, when a suspect rammed his truck into a synagogue just an hour’s drive from the planned event featuring Piker and the congresswoman,” they continued. “We urge Rep. Lee to reconsider and to stand firmly against antisemitism in all its forms.”
Frankel, whose district office is located in Lee’s district, has supported the congresswoman’s past election campaigns.
Lee pushed back on the criticism she’s received from her fellow Democrats.
“At a moment when Donald Trump is threatening catastrophic violence against Iran and saying ‘a whole civilization will die tonight,’ our priorities are deeply out of step if this is what some choose to focus on,” Lee said in an email to The Center Square. “The next generation is disillusioned by our political systems, and for good reason.”
She continued to cite a number of issues she believes are top of mind for students and working-class people, such as housing, student debt, and health care, “all while our government spends billions on illegal wars and keeps making the rich richer.”
“We need to invite young people in, take them seriously, and recognize that our politics are strongest when everyday people have a real hand in shaping them,” Lee said. “I’m going to continue showing up to speak with young people about the issues defining their lives and futures, and I will continue to be unequivocal in condemning Islamophobia, racism, antisemitism and all forms of hate.”
“If reporters have questions about Hasan Piker’s statements, they should ask Hasan Piker,” she added. “I’m focused on reaching young people and bringing more people into a democratic process that too often pushes them away.”
Piker has pushed back at accusations of antisemitism, according to The Hill, saying his criticisms have been focused on the U.S. and Israeli governments.
In 2024, more than 40 rabbis in the Pittsburgh area penned an open letter to Lee voicing their disappointment in Lee’s criticism and rhetoric of Israel, Jewish Insider reports.
In February, Lee became the fourth U.S. House member to endorse El-Sayed’s campaign for Congress.
“Michigan: Abdul is the real deal,” said Lee. “Too many in Washington want to tell us what we can’t have or shouldn’t fight for. Not Abdul. He has a real vision for how to make life easier for working people, how government can finally work for us. And he has the skills to make it a reality.”
“Abdul spent his career delivering things that truly matter for Michigan: glasses for kids, canceling medical debt, and taking on corporations at every turn. Abdul is the choice for Michigan,” she added. “I’m so proud to endorse a candidate who will meet this moment with the grit, character, and fight it requires.”
Abdul also lauded Lee as being a congresswoman “for the people.”
“She fights for the things we need and deserve–whether it’s for our healthcare, protecting clean air and water or standing up for our democracy, she is not afraid to take on corporate power at every turn,” said Abdul. “She’s a fierce advocate for her community and is an unwavering voice for western Pennsylvania in Washington.”
“As the first Black woman ever to represent her state in Congress, Congresswoman Lee is a battle tested champion for working people everywhere,” he added. “I look forward to fighting alongside her for a government that truly delivers for the needs of the working class.”
