<[link removed]> <[link removed]>Dear Friend,

Yesterday, at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on hate crimes, our friend Maya Berry, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute, was verbally berated by Republican Senator John Kennedy — who yelled, “You support Hamas, do you not?” and “You should hide your head in a bag.”1

His anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry was on display at a hearing on hate crimes. And he was pretending to speak on behalf of American Jewish safety.

Senator Kennedy, we’d rather speak for ourselves: Sign the Jewish petition condemning the behavior of Sen. Kennedy and Republicans who use Jewish safety as a pretense to divide and scare our communities. <[link removed]>

Yesterday’s hearing was titled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.” The tides are man-made. And they are indeed everywhere. Including the U.S. Senate.

Maya Berry had just testified about the importance of fighting hate crimes not only against Arab and Muslim Americans like herself, but also against Jewish, Black, and Asian Americans, immigrants, and so many other targeted communities.

She talked about the importance of fighting hate crimes in solidarity and not in isolation, noting that the safety of us all is linked together — that we are all one community, so hate crimes affect all of us.

Maya responded with incredible grace to say that Senator Kennedy was proving in that moment how critical this hearing was. But Maya shouldn’t have to fight alone. Let’s show that we have her back and that attacks on Muslim and Arab Americans should never happen in our name.

Add your name to the Jewish solidarity petition: American Jews condemn anti-Arab and anti-Muslim abuse. <[link removed]>

Thank you for your solidarity,

Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block
Washington Director, Bend the Arc

PS: Maya will be speaking on our panel next week, How We Fight Antisemitism Now: A Panel on Safety, Solidarity, and Winning Our Future. RSVP to hear from her directly. <[link removed]>


Sources:

1. Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, X/Twitter <[link removed]>

Help power our movement forward

We're rising up alongside all who are impacted by antisemitism, anti-Black racism, and white supremacy to fight for the joyful future we deserve — a future where Black liberation is realized and where all of us are safe and thriving, no matter what we look like or where we come from.

<[link removed]>DONATE <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]>Thank you for supporting Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, we can’t do it without you. This email was sent to: [email protected] <>. Inbox getting a little full? Sign up to get less email here <[link removed]>. We'd hate to see you go, but if you want to stop receiving all email, unsubscribe here <[link removed]>. Need to update the information we have on file for you? Reply to this email <mailto:[email protected]>. Looking to make a gift? Donations <[link removed]> aren’t tax deductible but help make this work possible.