J Street’s college group is co-sponsoring this weekend’s College Democrats of America convention that will feature far-left, antisemitic influencer Hasan Piker.

J Street U, the student organizing arm of J Street, “is proud to sponsor and participate in the College Democrats Convention,” Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, told Jewish Insider on Friday, hours after Piker was announced as the convention’s “surprise speaker.” 

The two-day conference began in Washington on Friday.  

“We had no role in the selection of speakers and we’re sure there will be speakers — including Hasan Piker — with whom we disagree,” said Ben-Ami. “Being in venues like this is even more important when there are participants with whom we disagree. Failing to show up would be an abdication of our responsibility to make the case for our pro-Israel views.”

Despite facing scrutiny over comments including justifying Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, calling Orthodox Jews “inbred” and asserting that America deserved 9/11, Piker has recently been invited to speak at several high-profile events, including at The New Yorker‘s annual festival and at the Yale Political Union. 

During his speech Saturday evening at the conference, Piker distanced himself from the mainstream Democratic Party, condemning “Democrats who compromise, who conciliate and who betray us,” to loud applause. “No more to the Democrats who collaborate and cooperate with the fascists, who will fund ICE, who will fund Israel … we don’t need those Democrats anymore,” Piker said.

The College Democrats’ convention is hosting several speakers who hold extreme anti-Israel views, including Democratic Socialists of America activist and Arizona congressional candidate Deja Foxx, commentator Kat Abughazaleh, gun-control activist and former DNC vice chair David Hogg and Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed congressional nominee Melat Kiros.

Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Palestinian-American legislator with a long record of anti-Israel activism, will also be speaking.

The lineup also includes elected officials who have been critical of Israel’s policies, such as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO).

The College Democrats of America is the official collegiate arm and student outreach branch of the Democratic National Committee. Neither group responded to a request for comment from JI about their decision to invite Piker.