Twitch bans Arab streamers over 'Sabra Hummus' tier list

A group of streamers, mainly of Arab heritage, have been banned from the popular video streaming platform Twitch for 30 days, sparking fears about the potential suppression of pro-Palestine voices on the platform.

The streamers, including CapriSunnPapi, Fr0gan, Raffoulticket, DenimsTV, and Vio, faced bans for around a month after holding a TwitchCon in September to debate the ranking of Arab terms of endearment.

During the panel, they playfully debated which popular Twitch figures could use the Arabic term of endearment "Habibi", ranking streamers on a meme tier list - a popular internet trend.

The highest ranking was "Arab" while the lowest was "Loves Sabra", in an apparent reference to the Israeli-linked Sabra hummus brand. 

The TwitchCon was highlighted by streamer Ethan Klein, who accused the panel of being "anti-Israel".

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has an openly pro-Israel agenda, then pressured Twitch to act, accusing the panel host, Frogan, of spreading "antisemitic content".

As a result, Frogan and others were suspended for 30 days, with the ADL calling for more accountability from Twitch.

The ADL also confirmed it had pressured Twitch to enforce strict penalties. 

The incident has sparked accusations across social media that Arab streamers are being silenced for their pro-Palestine views.  

Twitch streamer Ariana Jasmine defended the banned Arab streamers, stating on X that "Twitch just banned some of the most prominent Middle Eastern voices simply for using their platform to speak about Palestine." 

"Twitch you’re a racist platform and you don’t even try to hide it," she added. 

Alyssa Mercante, the senior editor of the video game news site Kotaku, highlighted that pro-Israel advocates reportedly mass-reported pro-Palestine channels, leading to a backlash against her coverage. 

"Myself and other Kotaku staffers were sent a barrage of emails after my Twitch ban story," Mercante wrote on X. 

The streamers currently under the spotlight have doubled down on their previous statements, arguing that their treatment starkly contrasts with other controversial Twitch figures who faced less severe consequences for inflammatory remarks. 

"30 day ban for saying people like bottom of the barrel hummus but other people get 2 WEEKS for advocating for the genocide of Palestinians," Twitch streamer Fr0gan wrote on X, referencing the two-week suspension of controversial user Asmongold i.e Zach Hoyt. 

Asmongold was previously suspended from Twitch for claiming that Palestinians hailed from an "inferior culture" and expressing a lack of sympathy for the situation in Gaza.

Arab streamer CapriSunnPapi, who was banned alongside Fr0gan, said the 'Loves Sabra' category was not a reference to the Israeli-linked hummus brand, found in supermarkets across the US.

"We actually put 'Loves Sabra' on the list because I wanted to remind the panel of the time my father's people massacred my mother's people in the [1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre]," he said on X.

"It has nothing to do with ass store-bought hummus it has to do with this very real deeper meaning." 

The New Arab has contacted Twitch for comments.

This incident follows Twitch's recent apology for restricting account sign-ups from users in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, intensifying political tensions on the platform.