GOP senator tells Arab American witness at hate crimes hearing to 'cover your head with a bag'

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana also repeatedly suggested the witness, a leading Arab American activist, supports Hamas even as she repeatedly denied it

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes Tuesday, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., repeatedly implied that a prominent Arab American activist, Maya Berry, was a supporter of Hamas. At one point, he told her she should "hide her head in a bag."

Berry, the executive director of the Arab American Institute, consistently denied supporting Hamas and expressed her "disappointment" with the lengthy back-and-forth that took place toward the conclusion of a hearing titled "A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America."

"You are the executive director of the Arab American Institute, correct?" Kennedy began, to which Berry confirmed and acknowledged that she is a Democratic activist.

Kennedy then asked, "You support Hamas, don't you?" referring to the group behind the October 7 attacks on Israel. His question drew shocked reactions from the audience.

"Senator, oddly enough, I'm going to say thank you for that question, because it demonstrates the purpose of our hearing today in a very effective way," Berry responded. Kennedy then cut her off and insisted he needed a yes-or-no answer.

"Hamas is a foreign terrorist organization that I do not support, but you asking the executive director of the Arab American Institute that question very much puts the focus on the issue of hate in our country," Berry responded.

"I got your answer and I appreciate it. You support Hezbollah, too, don't you?" Kennedy continued, referring to the Iran-backed militant group.

"I find this line of questioning extraordinarily disappointing," she responded, before Kennedy said, "Is that a no?"

"I don't support violence, whether it's Hezbollah or Hamas or any other entity that invokes it, so no, sir," she said.

"You just can't bring yourself to say no, can you? Kennedy said. "You just can't do it."

He then asked her whether she supported Iran and "their hatred of Jews," and she again said no.

Kennedy then pointed to Berry's past criticism of Congress for reducing funding to the United Nations agency UNRWA, which provides aid to Palestinian refugees. This came after allegations that a dozen of its 30,000 employees were involved in the October 7 attack, leading to their dismissal.

Berry affirmed her stance, reiterating her support for UNRWA's humanitarian efforts.

"Let me ask one more time, you support Hamas, don't you?" Kennedy pressed.

"I think it's exceptionally disappointing you're looking at an Arab American witness before you and saying you support Hamas. I do not support Hamas," she said.

"You know what's disappointing to me? You can't bring yourself to say don't support UNWRA, you don't support Hamas, you don't support Hezbollah and you don't support Iran. You should hide your head in a bag," he concluded, to gasps and yells from the audience.

In her opening remarks, Berry highlighted that hate crimes in the U.S. often follow anti-immigrant rhetoric, noting a spike in incidents targeting Arab, Muslim, and Jewish Americans since the October 7 attack.

When Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked if she wanted to respond after the exchange with Kennedy, Berry remarked, "It's unfortunate that, as I sit here, I've personally encountered the very issue we're trying to address today."

She continued, "Bringing foreign policy into this discussion doesn't help protect Arab Americans, Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans, Black people, or Asian Americans. This has been deeply disappointing and a clear reflection of the threat to our democratic institutions."

Later on Tuesday, Judiciary Democrats criticized Kennedy's remarks on social media.

"Political leaders should not fuel hatred and division," Durbin posted on X. "Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian Americans *all* deserve to feel safe."