Florida congressional race erupts into widening dispute involving antisemitism, Israel, Azerbaijan

Aze.NewsDiaspora11 May 2026106 Views

A Florida congressional race has spiraled into a wider political firestorm involving antisemitism, Israel, Azerbaijan, and the Armenian-American diaspora, after Rep. Randy Fine and congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian exchanged accusations in an increasingly bitter public feud.

The clash erupted after Fine publicly criticized Bilzerian following the release of a report by Israel’s Diaspora Ministry that ranked the social media personality as the world’s leading antisemitic influencer for 2025.

Bilzerian, a dual US-Armenian citizen best known for his online persona and controversial social media presence, recently entered the congressional race despite having no major political background in Florida.

In recent years, he has repeatedly drawn criticism for inflammatory remarks about Jews and Israel. During a 2024 livestream, Bilzerian called to “exterminate Israel” and declared, “give me a rifle and send me the f*** over there,” in remarks widely interpreted as advocating violence against Israelis, according to previously published reports.

Bilzerian also described Hamas as a “resistance organization” following the October 7 Hamas attack and referred to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as “a hero,” according to previous reporting. He also referred to Fine as a “fat Jew.”

The rhetoric escalated further over the past week as Bilzerian posted a stream of messages on X/Twitter targeting Jews, Israel, and Fine personally. Among them were posts referring to “Jewish supremacist parasites,” accusations that Fine entered politics “to help Jews and Israel,” and claims involving alleged Jewish control and Israeli citizenship.

Jewish organizations and pro-Israel commentators accused Bilzerian of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and rhetoric that crossed far beyond criticism of Israeli policy. Previous reporting has also linked him to Holocaust minimization claims and conspiracy theories involving Jews, including claims related to 9/11.

The controversy widened after Fine responded during a media appearance focused on antisemitism and dual citizenship in American politics. A section of a clip that quickly spread online showed Fine saying: “We don’t want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress.”

The remark triggered immediate backlash from Armenian-American activists and organizations, who condemned it as discriminatory and racist. Supporters of Fine argued that the viral clip deliberately omitted the broader context of his remarks, which centered on restricting members of Congress from holding dual citizenship or foreign allegiances.

Fine later doubled down in a post on X.

“Armenians should not serve in Congress,” he wrote. “Neither should Somalis. Or Guatemalans. Or — wait for it — Israelis. If you are a citizen of a foreign country, you shouldn’t serve in ours.”

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) nevertheless responded sharply, accusing Fine of anti-Armenian rhetoric and linking his comments to his support for Azerbaijan.

In a public statement, ANCA described Azerbaijan as a “genocidal dictatorship” and criticized Fine over legislation tied to US policy toward Baku following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military operation in the Karabakh region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, which had remained under Armenian separatist control for decades.

The dispute has also revived long-running tensions surrounding Israel’s close strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, particularly defense cooperation and Israeli arms sales to Baku. Armenian advocacy groups have frequently accused Israel of enabling Azerbaijani actions against Armenians in Karabakh — accusations strongly rejected by Israeli and Azerbaijani officials.

Online feud spills beyond bounds of congressional race

As the online feud intensified, the argument spilled far beyond the congressional race itself.

Political commentator Ana Kasparian, co-host of “The Young Turks,” posted a series of harsh statements against Israel in recent days, including describing Israel as a “genocidal terrorist state” and accusing it of supporting ethnic cleansing against Armenians.

Kasparian has previously faced criticism from pro-Israel watchdog groups over statements they argued crossed the line from criticism of Israel into antisemitic rhetoric, allegations she has denied.

The Fine-Bilzerian clash has since evolved into a broader online and political battle touching on antisemitism, diaspora activism, dual loyalty accusations and the increasingly volatile discourse surrounding Israel and the Middle East on social media.

The controversy has become another flashpoint between Armenian-American activist groups, some of which have increasingly aligned themselves with pro-Palestinian activism, and pro-Israel voices in the United States, particularly over Gaza and Azerbaijan.

What began as a local congressional fight in Florida has rapidly turned into a much larger proxy battle over identity, foreign policy, and the boundaries between political criticism and antisemitism in American public life.