A Republican senator accused an Arab-American advocate of supporting Hamas during a Senate hearing on hate-related incidents on Tuesday, 17 September. John Kennedy was questioning Maya Berry of the Arab American Institute when he began shouting at her that she “support[ed]” Hamas and Hezbollah.” His comments came during a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which met to discuss rising rates of incidents motivated by antisemitic and Islamophobic hatreds around the United States, which have risen sharply since the conflict in Gaza began last October. “You support Hamas, do you not?” Mr Kennedy said. “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,” Ms Berry responded.