GOP Sen. John Kennedy To Arab American Witness: 'You Support Hamas, Don't You?’

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Tuesday baselessly accused an Arab American witness of supporting terrorists during a Senate hearing, and as she called out his blatant Islamophobia, the GOP senator told her to “hide her head in a bag.”

Kennedy lashed out at Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, a nonpartisan national civil rights advocacy organization, during her testimony before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on stemming hate crimes. Berry was the only Muslim witness in the hearing.

“You support Hamas, do you not?” Kennedy abruptly asked Berry , referring to the terrorist group behind the Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel. His question drew audible gasps in the audience.

“Senator, oddly enough, I’m going to say thank you for that question, because it demonstrates the purpose of our hearing today,” Berry responded. “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.”

Several people in the audience clapped after she spoke.

But Kennedy continued in the same vein, asking if she supports Hezbollah, an Islamist political party and paramilitary group that’s also a designated terrorist organization.

“Again, I find this line of questioning extraordinarily disappointing, senator,” Berry began to respond as Kennedy talked over her, demanding she give a yes or no response.

“The answer is I don’t support violence whether it’s Hezbollah, Hamas or any other entity that invokes it,” she finally got out. “So no, sir.”

“You can’t bring yourself to say no, can you?” Kennedy replied, even after she said no.

The GOP senator pressed on, raising his voice, asking Berry if she supports Iran and talking over her as she tried to answer his questions. Someone started yelling in the audience as Kennedy kept talking.

“I think it’s exceptionally disappointing that you’re looking at an Arab American witness before you and saying, ‘You support Hamas,’” Berry said, as she repeatedly rejected his claims that she supports terrorist groups.

“You should hide your head in a bag,” Kennedy finally said, drawing loud outcry from some in the audience.

A Kennedy spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Here’s a video clip of their exchange:

Kennedy’s treatment of Berry drew almost instant condemnation from both Muslim and Jewish organizations.

“Maya Berry went before the committee to discuss hate crimes. Both Ms. Berry and the topic should have been treated with the respect and seriousness they deserve,” Robert McCaw of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said in a statement.

“Instead, Sen. Kennedy and others chose to be an example of the bigotry Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims have faced in recent months and years,” McCaw said.

Sheila Katz, the CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, called Kennedy’s treatment of Berry “heartbreaking” in a post on social media.

“Heartbreaking scene at a Senate hearing on antisemitism, anti-Arab & anti-Muslim hate: the only Muslim witness faced biased questions about supporting Hamas & Hezbollah despite her clear condemnations,” Katz wrote on social media . “This hearing should combat hate, not perpetuate it. The Senate must do better.”