WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A Senate Judiciary Committee set up to investigate the steady rise of hatred dividing the country ended up splitting the hearing room Tuesday.
As one attendee left the room, he called Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) “idiot.” Cruz used his speaking time to criticize Democrats. Several Republicans complained that Democrats ignored their desire to hold a hearing focused exclusively on anti-Semitic threats on campus. Several universities have reported an escalate in anti-Jewish rhetoric and intimidation since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
“We should focus on this issue in a hearing and not lump it together with all the other problems,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.).
Committee Chairman Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) condemned anti-Semitic speech and all hate crimes, but said he believed the committee should not prioritize one group over another.
“Prioritizing which group is most discriminated against is, in my opinion, not a valid expression of our authority,” Durbin said.
Maya Berry, director of the Arab American Institute, defended the Democrats’ position and the students’ freedom of speech, sparking a heated exchange with Senator John Kennedy (Republican of Louisiana). Kennedy accused the Muslim civil rights activist of supporting Hamas and told him to “hide his head in a bag.”
According to FBI data, hate crimes increased by 99% between 2015 and 2022. Threats against Jewish and Arab Americans increased significantly in the months following October 7.th and in recent years, the number of threats against black, Hispanic and LGBTQ Americans has increased.
“All affected communities are affected, so we need to find a response that takes that into account,” says Berry.
Berry suggested lawmakers escalate resources to combat hate fueled by misinformation online.
National Jewish Advocacy Center director Dr. Mark Goldfeder warned Democrats not to ignore the growing hatred directed specifically against Jews.
“What begins with the Jews never ends with the Jews,” says Goldfeder. “It didn’t take long for the cries to change from ‘Death to Israel’ to ‘Death to America.'”
To protect Jewish students from hate speech, Goldfeder is calling on Congress to encourage the teaching of anti-Jewish stereotypes. Goldfeder also called on Democrats to pass federal legislation that would broaden the definition of anti-Semitism to include criticism of Israel.
The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year with bipartisan support.
