Ethan Klein of H3 Productions on YouTube and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker traded barbs over Zionism during a Friday stream.
Klein, a Jewish man who is married to a Jewish woman that previously served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), has worked with Piker for several years on the Leftovers podcast in which the two discuss current events and internet culture from a liberal perspective.
In recent episodes of the podcast, Klein and Piker have traded barbs over other typically liberal arguments including socialism and copyright infringement.
During a Friday stream with the Twitch personality, Piker noted Klein, who has expressed support for Israel in the wake of the attack, had donated to a charity benefitting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, to which the YouTuber said he had received pushback from Israelis.
Toward the end of the stream, Piker read comments from viewers who expressed frustration with Klein over his support for Israel. Klein said Piker began to "talk down" to him after the Twitch streamer said he would explain pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist critics' perspective "without kiddie gloves."
Piker said he supported Palestinians and "all people living freely."
"Stop putting those f---ing words in my mouth like I don't," Klein responded. "The way you set that up is f---ed up."
Piker said Klein was a smart person, though gets "emotional" with certain issues.
"Do you care that your chat is calling me racist?" Klein asked Piker in reference to the Twitch streamer's live chat. "Don't you have moderators? Do you care at all what your audience says about me?
"The reason why people are saying that is because of the conflations that you've made," Piker responded. "I can't stop people from viewing you a certain way if you're gonna make these comparisons they've heard from actually racist people."
Piker's chat continued their criticism of Klein throughout the confrontation invoking a slogan, "From the river to the sea," which Zionists suggest refers to the destruction of the Jewish state.
Piker criticized Klein's suggestion that the slogan was akin to the Nazi Germany Swastika.
"These people saying, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' are not in the wrong," Piker said as Klein appeared to be upset. "They're in the right. ... They are morally righteous."
Piker continued his criticism of Klein, adding opposition to "from the river to the sea" was similar to opposing Black Lives Matter.
"I'm just telling you the perspective," Klein responded. "You disagree. That's it. I mean, what the f--- do you want from me?"
Piker said he didn't want Klein's "feelings to be hurt," to which the YouTuber said Piker's chat was populated with "monsters."
"You know I'm not a f---ing radical Jew," Klein told the Twitch streamer. "I'm not even a religious Jew. I have no f---ing stake in the game."
Piker attempted to show sympathy to the YouTuber, though Klein paused briefly before he stood up and walked off camera.
During an October episode of the H3 Podcast, Klein suggested Leftovers may go on hiatus.
"I feel like I'm probably going to pause Leftovers for the time being," he said, adding it was something he "needed to discuss" with Piker.
"Please do not take these political conversations so personally," Klein shared in a previous Instagram story. "Being called a class traitor 1,000 times because I'm only a social Democrat and not a full socialist makes me not want to have convos like this anymore, which is probably the least productive outcome."
