Wed Sep 18 00:03:16 UTC 2024: ## Senator Kennedy Accused of Anti-Arab Bias During Hate Crime Hearing

**Washington, D.C.** – A heated exchange between Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) and Arab American activist Maya Berry during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes has sparked outrage and accusations of bias against the senator.

During her testimony, Berry, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute, was repeatedly interrogated by Kennedy about her alleged support for Hamas, a Palestinian militant group. Despite her denials and explanations, Kennedy persisted, demanding a yes-or-no answer and going on to accuse her of supporting Hezbollah, Iran, and even “hatred of Jews.”

The senator’s aggressive line of questioning, which many in the audience found shocking and inappropriate, culminated in a statement where he told Berry she should “hide her head in a bag.”

Berry, who had previously highlighted the rise of hate crimes against Arab, Muslim, and Jewish Americans following the recent terrorist attacks in Israel, responded by stating, “It’s regrettable that I, as I sit here, have experienced the very issue that we’re attempting to deal with today.” She stressed that introducing foreign policy into the conversation was not the way to address hate crimes and called the experience a “regrettable disappointment.”

Following the exchange, Democratic senators condemned Kennedy’s actions. Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), tweeted that “political leaders must not fan the flames of hatred and division” and that “Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian Americans *all* deserve to be safe.”

Kennedy’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident.

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