The Dispute Index
All topics

Political Violence

Public disputes concerning politically motivated violence, threats, attacks, and claims about the causes or consequences of such violence.

Related cases

Case

Mosab Hassan Yousef’s call for Muslims to leave the United States at the Jewish American Summit

At the August 30, 2026 Jewish American Summit in Los Angeles, Mosab Hassan Yousef said he did not want Muslims in America, used profanity to tell Muslims to leave the United States, and told them to return to and reform the countries they came from. Audience members applauded. Critics characterized the remarks and the response as anti-Muslim bigotry; the dispute also concerns responsibility among the event's organizers, sponsors, speakers, and public commentators.

Case

Hasan Piker’s “Hamas over Israel” comparison

Hasan Piker affirmed a hypothetical preference for Hamas over Israel through lesser-evil reasoning. Jon Favreau disputed the moral comparison, while the ADL cited it as whitewashing terrorism. Piker later acknowledged Hamas war crimes and denied endorsing its domestic policies, while maintaining that Israeli occupation was the overriding concern.

Case

U.S. termination of the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE detention

On April 11, 2026, the U.S. State Department said it had terminated the lawful permanent resident status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son, and that ICE had them in custody pending removal. Officials cited family ties and foreign-policy or national-security grounds; the family, its lawyers, and other commentators have disputed the action as family-based punishment. This case records those competing positions without deciding the legal validity of the action or the family’s current status.

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Statements

Josh Gottheimer

Role at the time: U.S. Representative; co-introducer of the resolution

Condemned

Responding to

Hasan Piker’s “Hamas over Israel” comparison

"We cannot be selective in calling out antisemitism."
Why we used this label

An official statement condemning Piker's rhetoric in a resolution that includes the comparison. The classification is not a claim that Gottheimer's quoted words addressed only this statement.

Gottheimer and Lawler introduce resolution condemning Piker’s rhetoric (opens in a new tab) - Josh GottheimerGottheimer statement; release linking the introduced resolution. The resolution cites Piker's Hamas-over-Israel comparison among other statements.
Read statementHasan Piker’s “Hamas over Israel” comparison

Anti-Defamation League

Role at the time: Advocacy organization; institutional analysis

Condemned

Responding to

Piker's Hamas-over-Israel comparison helps whitewash Hamas's violence.

"sanitizes and justifies violence and terrorism against the State of Israel"
Why we used this label

An explicit institutional judgment tied to the comparison; not an attributed personal statement by an ADL official.

ADL — Hasan Piker: What You Need to Know (opens in a new tab) - Anti-Defamation LeagueRhetorical Themes; Support for Terror and Violence; Celebrating or whitewashing U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Read statementHasan Piker’s “Hamas over Israel” comparison

Ben Shapiro

Role at the time: Host of The Ben Shapiro Show

Condemned

Responding to

El-Sayed's cycle-of-violence framing rationalized the antisemitic attack or improperly shifted explanatory responsibility toward Israel and Jews.

"What is wrong with you people? I'm sorry, that's America hatred. It's West hatred."
Why we used this label

He directly rejected the disputed phrase immediately after playing it and treated it as evidence of ideological sympathy rather than neutral explanation.

Ben Shapiro Show transcript — April 10, 2026 (opens in a new tab)00:44:01–00:44:10
Read statementAbdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack

Rabbi Jen Lader

Role at the time: Rabbi, Temple Israel

Condemned

Responding to

El-Sayed's cycle-of-violence framing rationalized the antisemitic attack or improperly shifted explanatory responsibility toward Israel and Jews.

"suggesting that violence against a synagogue in suburban Detroit could be understood through the lens of Israeli actions; offensive"
Why we used this label

The criticism came from a rabbi at the attacked institution and directly opposed El-Sayed's causal framing.

Abdul El-Sayed is courting Jewish voters without moderating his views on Israel (opens in a new tab)Full report and interview
Read statementAbdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack

Tim Miller

Role at the time: Host of The Bulwark Podcast

Condemned

Responding to

El-Sayed's cycle-of-violence framing rationalized the antisemitic attack or improperly shifted explanatory responsibility toward Israel and Jews.

"Anyone who would think a statement condemning a terorrist attack on a synagogue is a 'risk' is insane and should be fired from the campaign."
Why we used this label

The authored post directly rejects the political hesitation surrounding condemnation of the attack.

Archived Tim Miller reaction to El-Sayed's Temple Israel response (opens in a new tab)
Read statementAbdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack

Tim Scott

Role at the time: United States senator

Condemned

Responding to

El-Sayed's cycle-of-violence framing rationalized the antisemitic attack or improperly shifted explanatory responsibility toward Israel and Jews.

"pathetic; radical terrorist sympathizer"
Why we used this label

This is an unambiguous condemnation, though its wording is highly partisan and broader than the literal transcript.

Abdul El-Sayed calls statement on Temple Israel attack a risk (opens in a new tab)Full report
Read statementAbdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack

Mike Rogers

Role at the time: Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan

Condemned

Responding to

El-Sayed's cycle-of-violence framing rationalized the antisemitic attack or improperly shifted explanatory responsibility toward Israel and Jews.

"If you're having a moral crisis over whether to condemn terrorism, you're unfit for office."
Why we used this label

The statement treats El-Sayed's contextualization as disqualifying sympathy for the assailant.

Abdul El-Sayed calls statement on Temple Israel attack a risk (opens in a new tab)Full report
Read statementAbdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack

Noah Arbit

Role at the time: Michigan state representative

Condemned

Responding to

El-Sayed's cycle-of-violence framing rationalized the antisemitic attack or improperly shifted explanatory responsibility toward Israel and Jews.

"crocodile tears"
Why we used this label

This is a direct rejection of El-Sayed's response to the attack.

Religious leaders condemn Michigan synagogue attack but moving forward together tricky (opens in a new tab)Full report
Read statementAbdul El-Sayed's cycle of violence framing after the Temple Israel attack

People with useful coverage

David Kramer

Michigan Jewish Democratic organizer.

1 case and 1 statement

Jim Clyburn

Jim Clyburn is a United States representative from South Carolina.

1 case and 1 statement

Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, former Detroit health director, and 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan.

2 cases and 6 statements

Hasan Piker

Hasan Piker, also known as HasanAbi, is a political livestreamer and commentator.

2 cases and 3 statements

Jonathan Chait

Political columnist known for liberal commentary on American politics.

1 case and 1 statement

Dov Waxman

Dov Waxman is a professor of Israel studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an author on Israel, American Jewry, and antisemitism. He writes academic work and public commentary on Jewish politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

1 case and 1 statement

Jon Ossoff

United States senator from Georgia.

1 case and 1 statement

David Frum

David Frum is a staff writer at The Atlantic and hosts The David Frum Show.

2 cases and 2 statements

Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan is a journalist, political commentator, and founder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo.

1 case and 1 statement

Nick Fuentes

Far-right political livestreamer and host of America First.

1 case and 1 statement

Dana Nessel

Dana Nessel is the attorney general of Michigan.

1 case and 1 statement

More people