Larry Klayman, founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, filed a civil lawsuit against antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker in Palm Beach County, Fla., alleging that Piker incited violence against Jewish and Christian Zionists.
Filed Sept. 10 in the Circuit Court for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, the suit names Klayman as plaintiff, representing himself.
The complaint focuses, in part, on comments Piker allegedly made during an Aug. 20 livestream. Piker told his audience that “eventually, someone’s going to come around and take action, not against the State of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” per the filing.
Klayman also alleges that Piker blamed American Jews who support Israel for “making antisemitism worse.”
The complaint further alleges that Piker said “Hamas is 1,000 times better” than Israel and told Jews to “go back to Auschwitz.”
Klayman argues that the comments effectively encourage violence against Jews who support Israel, including him. He said that he self-identifies as a Zionist activist who has publicly criticized Piker. He said the alleged threats are like a “fatwa.”
The suit seeks more than $150 million in damages for reckless endangerment, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Klayman is also seeking an injunction barring Piker from encouraging violence against Jewish Zionists.
“As a proud Messianic Jew, Zionist and strong supporter of Israel, I could not sit back and watch antisemitic, Islamic Marxists like Piker turn the nation into the equivalent of pre-World War II Nazi Germany,” Klayman told JNS. “Never again!”
“Piker and others like him, including politicians Zohran Mamdani, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Abdul El-Sayed, must be legally relegated to the ash heap of history,” he said, referring to the New York City mayor, Minnesota and Michigan Democratic congresswomen and Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, respectively.
“They are a dangerous cancer that cannot be allowed to metastasize,” he added.
This lawsuit is separate from a Citizens’ Grand Jury recently convened by Klayman and Freedom Watch Party USA in Charleston that also examined Piker’s alleged comments about Jews and Christians who support Israel.
