The statement came after Troy Jackson, a former logger and state Senate president, secured the Maine Democratic US Senate nomination Saturday at the party\u2019s nominating convention to replace Graham Platner, a staunch Israel critic who dropped out of the race earlier this month. Platner faced a rape allegation, which he denies. Jackson will now run against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in November\u2019s general election. Both parties view the race as key to controlling the Senate.<\/p>\n
\t Platner routinely used the word \u201cgenocide\u201d to describe Israel\u2019s actions. And ahead of the convention to replace him, Jackson and several other Democratic hopefuls who later exited the race began using the term to describe Israel\u2019s war in Gaza for the first time, a shift that drew scrutiny from some Jewish leaders and voters in the state.<\/p>\n The use of the term has become a \u201ccurrency for acquiring power and position in Maine\u2019s Democratic party,\u201d Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, the leader of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, who also signed the statement, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.<\/p>\n \u201cToo many Maine Democrats are cynically willing to trade in that currency at the expense of our safety and dignity,\u201d she said in an emailed statement. \u201cWe decided we needed to say something collectively, both about the specious and dangerous nature of the claim, and about how much damage has been done to our families and congregants.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement Friday was spearheaded by the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine and signed by every congregational rabbi in the state, including Rabbi Bill Siemers of the Conservative Congregation Beth Israel in Bangor and Rabbi Erica Asch of the Reform Temple Beth El in Augusta. (Rabbis affiliated with the Chabad movement in Maine did not appear on the signatory list.)<\/p>\n Zach Schwartz, the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, said the federation hoped the \u201cunity displayed here in Maine can inspire Jewish communities across the US to also unite in a similar way.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Rabbi Josh Stanton, the associate vice president of interfaith and intergroup initiatives for Jewish Federations of North America, also hailed the joint statement.<\/p>\n \u201cMaine\u2019s Jewish clergy are setting an important example with their call to put aside inflammatory rhetoric and look to the common good,\u201d Stanton said in an emailed statement. \u201cAt a time of rising polarization and declining civil discourse, the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine\u2019s efforts to unify the community around this important message are a mark of true leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n Isaacs told JTA that she hoped Jackson would \u201csupport, understand, and advocate for all of Maine\u2019s citizens, including the totality of Maine\u2019s diverse Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWork with us to figure out how to express outrage and legitimate critique of Israel\u2019s government without succumbing to language that you might not know is an ancient antisemitic trope, or dismissing the security needs of Israel\u2019s citizens,\u201d Isaacs said of her message to Jackson. \u201cPlease have the courage to forge your own path, and not follow in the footsteps of Graham Platner, a man who should have never been normalized, endorsed, or empowered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this,<\/strong> please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community.<\/strong> Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tTroy Jackson, Democratic nominee for US Senate, speaks during a demonstration outside of a federal immigration office on July 14, 2026, in Scarborough, Maine. (Ryan Murphy\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MCJL-26-RachelIsaacs-Podium-4-e1785529781861-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tRabbi Rachel Isaacs, the leader of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine, in an undated photo. (Courtesy Rachel Isaacs)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe can’t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Untitled-design-4-200x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/334x334-200x200.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
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