Senator tells witness ‘hide your head in a bag’ during heated hate crimes hearing

THERE WAS A FIERY EXCHANGE ON CAPITOL HILL TUESDAY BETWEEN REPUBLICAN SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY OF LOUISIANA –

AND AN ARAB AMERICAN ACTIVIST THERE TO TESTIFY OVER A RISE IN HATE CRIMES.

AT THE END OF THEIR BACK-AND-FORTH –

THE SENATOR TELLS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE –

THAT SHE SHOULD HIDE HER HEAD IN A BAG.

“I was very clear on my support for UNRWA. I oppose –”

“You should hide your head in a bag”

LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW THE HEARING GOT TO THIS HEATED MOMENT.

THE HEARING WAS HELD TO ADDRESS AN INCREASE IN HATE CRIMES – SPECIFICALLY SINCE THE START OF THE ISRAEL HAMAS WAR ALMOST ONE YEAR AGO.

ONE OF THE WITNESSES – 

“MAYA BERRY” – IN CHARGE AT THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE – WAS QUESTIONED BY KENNEDY –

STARTING WITH WHETHER OR NOT SHE SUPPORTS HAMAS.

“You support Hamas do you not?”

“Senator, oddly enough i’m going to say thank you for that question because it demonstrates the purpose of our hearing today. Hamas is a terror organization i do not support but you asking the director of the arab american institute that question very much puts the focus on the issue of hate in our country.”

THE SENATOR CONTINUED HIS QUESTIONING.

ASKING IF BERRY SUPPORTED HEZBOLLAH. AND THEN IRAN. TO WHICH SHE RESPONDED NO.

THE SENATOR – THEN FOCUSING IN ON BERRY’S SUPPORT FOR “UNRWA” –

THE ‘UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY’ –

WHICH SUPPLIES PALESTINIANS IN GAZA WITH HUMANITARIAN AID.

THE ORGANIZATION – TO WHICH THE U.S. HAS GIFTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO – HAS SEEN ITS SHARE OF CONTROVERSY.

IT WAS LEARNED THROUGH INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION THE AGENCY HAD NINE “UNRWA EMPLOYEES” ON THE INSIDE **WORKING FOR HAMAS WHO HELPED PLAN THE TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL – ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS “OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT” INVESTIGATION.

THE DISCOVERY OF SOME HAMAS MEMBERS EMBEDDED INSIDE UNRWA – COUPLED WITH FINDINGS OF UNRWA EDUCATORS SPEWING ANTISEMITISM CALLING FOR THE MURDER OF JEWS –

CONGRESS CUT OFF U.S. FUNDING TO THE RELIEF AGENCY.

SENATOR KENNEDY – BRINGING THIS UP IN HIS QUESTIONING TO BERRY –

WHICH LED TO CHAOS AND BACKLASH.

“You called our decision to cut funding for them quote “an incredible moral failure.”

“That is absolutely correct. But that conversation is about foreign policy.”

“We did that because 9 unrwa staff members were fired for actually helping hamas on october 7th.”

“I don’t believe that’s correct.”

“Let me ask you one more time. You support hamas don’t you? You support hamas and unrwa don’t you?”

“I think it’s exceptionally disappointing that you’re looking at an arab american witness before you and saying you support hamas.”

“You know what’s disappointing to me? You can’t bring yourself to say you don’t support unrwa, you don’t support hamas.”

“I was very clear for my support for unrwa. I oppose –”

“You should hide your head in a bag.”

JUDICIARY DEMOCRATS CONDEMNED KENNEDY’S QUESTIONING IN THE REMAINDER OF THE HEARING.

WITH THE DEMOCRATIC JUDICIARY CHAIR DICK DURBIN ASKING BERRY IF SHE HAD ANYTHING TO SAY FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE WITH KENNEDY.

This has been regrettably a real disappointment but very much an indication of the danger to our democratic institutions that we’re in now. I deeply regret that and i hope my testimony today has been helpful to understanding the need to respond to hate.”

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