The Combat Antisemitism Movement sent a letter on Wednesday to the video game live-streaming platform Twitch, calling for it to take back its “Legendary Woman of the Year” award from a player who goes by the username “fr0gan.”
“The individual in question has utilized their platform on Twitch to propagate dangerous and harmful antisemitic rhetoric, particularly the justification of the barbaric Oct. 7 massacre in Israel perpetrated by Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization,” wrote Sacha Roytman, CEO of the nonprofit movement.
He added that “it is deeply troubling that Twitch, as the largest gaming platform with hundreds of millions of users, many of whom are children or teenagers, has chosen to endorse and amplify such harmful messages through its official channels.”
Roytman cited the gamer’s Oct. 7 social-media post, in which fr0gan states that “leftists preach and foam at the mouth at the thought of a revolution happening in America, but as soon as it happens in the Middle East, what they’re doing is wrong.”
Twitch’s “legendary woman” sought to defend the prior post in a comment on Oct. 11.
“I did not say murdering children and burning families alive is revolution. It is a tactic Israel has specialized in for over 70 years,” she wrote. Apparently responding to a since-deleted post, she added, “What is revolution to you if not overthrowing the prison guards that keep 2 million people from leaving, shelling their homes wantonly, killing civilians—mostly children—for the past 70 years to the approval of the international community?”
“It goes without saying murdering civilians is horrible—that’s at the heart of my criticisms against Israel,” she added. “It’s disingenuous to assume it wouldn’t apply to the murder of Israeli citizens, too.”
As recently as March 10, the gamer has posted accusing the Israeli government of “literally genociding a primarily Muslim population,” adding that the Jewish state “has a history of mosque raids, especially during Ramadan, which is the holiest month for Muslims.”
Roytman wrote that he is “gravely concerned about the impact that this award may have, not only on the perception of Twitch as a responsible and ethical platform but also on the safety and well-being of vulnerable members of Jewish communities worldwide.”
“It is imperative that Twitch reassess its policies regarding antisemitism and take immediate action to rectify this situation,” he added.
