Nithya Raman Has Yet to Address Hasan Piker’s Antisemitism Controversy

THE VIEW FROM HERE - While it was outrageous that in May 2026 CD 4 councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman endorsed Hasan Piker’s lie that Jews were committing genocide in Gaza (and the falsehood that Israel is an apartheid state), when it was brought to her attention that she was endangering American Jews, she was silent.  She was sent the CityWatch article which accused her of endangering American Jews, but she remained silent in face of the accusation.  Others made similar claims about making Jews targets; here’s the link to the Citywatch’s June 8th article.  Raman Unsafe for Jews 

No One Forced Raman to Associate with Piker

While Raman has not explained her motive for associating with Hasan Piker in May 2026, we need not hear from her own mouth why.  When other politicos have been caught associating with right wing racists, for example, it was not uncommon to hear the politico mouth the seldom-believed faux denial, “I did not know his views.”  We do not even get that from Raman. When some entity is as famous as the KKK or Hasan Piker who is located right here in LA (West Hollywood to be exact), the public may assume that his anti-Semitism is known by everyone in our political circle.  If I had been asked to agree that “Blacks are genetically inferior” or that “Jews are committing genocide,” my agreement could not be attributed to ignorance. People could reasonably assume that I was a bigot.

According to The Associated Press - NORC (Center for Public Affairs Research), “A significant share of Jewish adults, about 3 in 10, say they or someone in their household has experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment or damaged property because of their Jewish background over the last year, according to the survey.”  The fact that Jews are frequently attacked in many ways which other group do not experience is not a secret.

Adoption by Silence

A public figure has a duty to speak on an issue when they have previously appeared with, accepted the help of, and endorsed the racist views of some entity like the KKK or Hasan Piker.  The politicos’ own past behavior has incurred the duty to tell the public if they still agree with the KKK or Hasan Piker.  If I had appeared with the KKK and agreed that Blacks were genetic inferiors and then later the KKK said that due to the inferiority Blacks were bringing physical attacks upon themselves, the public would want to know if I agreed.  If I were silent when others were condemning the KKK, people could agree that I too blamed Blacks for being attacked. 

Many Leading Democrats, but Not Nithya Raman, have Condemned Hasan Piker’s Blame the Jews Statement

Piker said: “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually some one's going to come around and take action, not against the State of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews."

During the same broadcast, Piker also referred to Israel as "Jewish ISIS" and argued that Jewish Americans who tie their entire identity to the country are "making antisemitism worse.

Jews Are Not Victims

Let’s be clear, we Jews do not see ourselves as victims. חַי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַם Am Israel Chai -- We are survivors and thrivers.  Thus, to any organization such as the ADL which tries to force us Jews into the Woke DEI category of oppressed victims, I say “F**k off.” We are not victims and we do not commit genocide nor is Israel an apartheid state.  Those non-Jewish Americans who want to know how 1930s Germans accepted Nazi anti-Semitism and turned against their Jews, need look no farther than Nithya Raman.  Not only did she graduate from Harvard but she also has a master’s degree from MIT.  She cannot claim ignorance.  She seems to be promoting anti-Semitism against American Jews in order to gain votes.  I challenge Nithya Raman to prove me wrong.

While Karen Bass’s silence also evidences cowardice, she has never chosen to appear in tandem with Piker. (In 2019, the Fox show, The Issue, interviewed Bass and Piker in two entirely separate segments which may have been filmed days apart.)  Thus, Bass has no prior association with Piker which Bass now needs to disavow, whereas Raman’s duty to reject Piker has risen to the level of mandatory.

(Richard Lee Abrams is a former Los Angeles-based attorney, an author, and political commentator. A long-time contributor to CityWatchLA, he is known for his incisive critiques of City Hall and judicial corruption, as well as his analysis of political and constitutional issues. Abrams blends legal insight with historical and philosophical depth to challenge conventional narratives. A passionate defender of civic integrity and transparency, he aims to expose misuse of power and advocate for systemic reform in local government.  You may email him at [email protected])