Congressman Ritchie Torres Criticizes HasanAbi’s Comments on October 7th Events, Sparking Controversy
3 min read
In a recent social media post, U.S. Congressman Ritchie Torres from New York’s 15th District publicly denounced popular Twitch streamer Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker, accusing him of being “an apologist for the sexual violence of October 7th, 2023.” The criticism stemmed from a controversial 17-second video of HasanAbi’s past livestream, in which the Turkish-American streamer discussed his views on the October 7th attacks. His comments sparked outrage online, drawing harsh reactions from Torres and his followers.
In the video clip, HasanAbi stated, “Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if f**king rapes happened on October 7th. Like, it doesn’t change the dynamic for me even this much.” He went on to add that “the Palestinian resistance is not perfect.” Congressman Ritchie Torres interpreted this statement as an endorsement of violence and sexual assault, expressing his disapproval on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “The leading streamer on Twitch, Hasan Piker, is an apologist for the sexual violence of October 7th. ‘It doesn’t matter if rape happened on October 7th. It doesn’t change the dynamic for me,’ Hasan declares before finally admitting that, ‘Palestinian resistance is not perfect.’”
The leading streamer on Twitch, Hasan Piker, is an apologist for the sexual violence of October 7th. “It doesn’t matter if rape happened on October 7th. It doesn’t change the dynamic for me,” Hasan declares before finally admitting that “Palestinian resistance is not perfect.”… pic.twitter.com/IJHgkwdlEn
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) October 25, 2024
Ritchie Torres escalated his critique, arguing that HasanAbi’s influence and following reveal a disturbing level of antisemitism in American culture. “A social media influencer who openly defends the rape and mass murder of Jews is not only accepted but celebrated in our society,” he wrote. “What does that reveal about the depth of antisemitism in the American soul? If America believes Jewish lives matter, then Americans should stop popularizing influencers who popularize antisemitism.”
The social media response to Torres’ post was immediate and polarized. Among those weighing in was Steven “Destiny” Bonnell, a streamer and YouTuber often involved in political commentary. Destiny commented on Torres’ remarks, saying the allegations were “not too surprising,” alluding to the recent Twitch controversy involving account creation restrictions. The controversy arose after October 7, 2023, when users claimed that Twitch had prevented individuals in Israel from creating accounts. Twitch later confirmed that sign-ups for both Israelis and Palestinians had been “temporarily disabled” in the wake of the attack and remained so until recently.
Not too surprising, given that Twitch had banned accounts from being created from Israel for a year after the October 7th attacks https://t.co/ssy6vRCa5j
— Destiny (@TheOmniLiberal) October 25, 2024Advertisement
Destiny’s response highlighted the longstanding tension between Twitch and certain user groups over its policies and community guidelines. In his tweet, Destiny said, “Not too surprising, given that Twitch had banned accounts from being created from Israel for a year after the October 7th attacks.”
As of now, HasanAbi has not directly addressed Torres’ statements. While he has previously discussed Middle Eastern conflicts and criticized various political leaders, his silence on this specific matter has left his followers speculating on how he might respond.
The clash between Congressman Torres and HasanAbi underscores the intense polarization in online discussions about global conflicts, especially in the highly charged atmosphere following October 7th. With public figures and politicians increasingly vocal on social media, such disputes bring to light the challenging intersection of free expression, public accountability, and the influence of online personalities on political discourse.
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Shivam Kumar
Hi, I'm Shivam Kumar. I'm pursuing Journalism honors from the IP University. I love the skill of writing and looking forward to learn more of it. Also I love traveling and experiencing new things every day....
