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‘Legend’ Sen. Kennedy to female Arab American witness: ‘You should hide your head in a bag’

September 18, 2024 | | Print Article

Virtue signaling while on the topic of Hamas support found a fiery Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy (R) hailed as a “LEGEND” when he didn’t get a yes or no answer.

Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held to further address so-called “Hate Crimes” such as the Hamas sympathizing violence that has swept across college campuses following the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.

During the hearing dubbed “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America,” Kennedy demanded Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry give straight answers on alleged support for extremist groups only to assert after her hemming and hawing, “You should hide your head in a bag.”

The senator had initially posited, “You support Hamas, do you not?” to which Berry responded, “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 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.”

Accepting her answer, Kennedy peppered the guest about other terrorist and terrorist-related groups as she further presented herself as a victim of the line of questioning.

“You support Hamas, don’t you? You support UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) and Hamas, don’t you?” he added, having brought up the fact that employees of the United Nations group had been fired for their potential involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.

“I think it’s exceptionally disappointing that you’re looking at an Arab American witness and saying ‘you support Hamas,'” responded Berry as the lawmaker cut in, “You know what’s disappointing to me?”

“I do not support Hamas. I do not support Hamas,” she repeated as Kennedy continued, “You can’t bring yourself to say you don’t support UNRWA, you don’t support Hamas, you don’t support Hezbollah and you don’t support Iran. You should hide your head in a bag.”

Additional posturing came courtesy of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw who reacted in a statement, “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.”

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

Meanwhile, for CAIR, previously known as the Islamic Association for Palestine, itself labeled a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates, playing the victim card was seen as adding credence to the senator’s line of questioning on the admitted Democrat activist to whom Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D) had allowed the final word.

Kevin Haggerty
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