Maine rabbis issue joint call for peace, urge politicians to stop calling Gaza war ‘genocide’

All congregational rabbis in Maine signed a statement calling for peace and urging state political leaders to stop using the term 'genocide' to describe Israel's war in Gaza. The statement, released Friday, followed a Democratic primary where candidates used the term. It was spearheaded by the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine. The rabbis also called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to end the cycle of violence. The statement came after Troy Jackson secured the Democratic US Senate nomination on Saturday, replacing Graham Platner, who dropped out. Jackson will face Republican incumbent Susan Collins in November.

Every congregational rabbi in Maine has signed onto a joint statement calling for peace and urging the state's political leaders to stop using the term 'genocide' to describe Israel's war in Gaza. The statement, titled 'A Call for Peace and Responsible Rhetoric,' was released on Friday and spearheaded by the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine. It argues that using the term as a 'political slogan does not advance peace' and that it 'erases essential moral and legal distinctions, diminishes the meaning of genocide, and inflames hatred for the local Jewish community.' The rabbis also called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to end the cycle of violence and create a better world for both Palestinian and Israeli children. The statement follows a Democratic primary in which several candidates used the term 'genocide' to describe Israel's actions. Troy Jackson, a former logger and state Senate president, secured the Democratic US Senate nomination on Saturday at the party's convention, replacing Graham Platner, a staunch Israel critic who dropped out earlier this month. Platner faced a rape allegation, which he denies. Jackson will now run against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in November's general election. Rabbi Rachel Isaacs, who signed the statement, said the term has become a 'currency for acquiring power and position in Maine's Democratic party.' She criticized 'too many Maine Democrats' for being 'cynically willing to trade in that currency at the expense of our safety and dignity.' The statement was signed by every congregational rabbi in the state, including Rabbi Bill Siemers and Rabbi Erica Asch, though Chabad-affiliated rabbis did not appear on the list.