Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson apologized on Wednesday for any “pain” caused by a comment he made about Jewish residents’ views on the war in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Jackson said it is “unfortunate” that members of the Jewish community in his state do not call the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip a “genocide.”
“It’s unfortunate that there are people here in Maine that don’t like to use that term, only because they’re Jewish and what that means to them with the Holocaust,” he said in an interview with News Center Maine.
Jackson also said that “senseless murders, horrific murders, are happening to both sides” of the conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people, specifically criticizing Hamas.
Trending
In a statement shared with The Washington Sun on Wednesday, Jackson walked back some of his comments and said residents of his state hold a “range of deeply considered views.”
“I believe what’s happening in Gaza is genocide, and I also understand that word carries particular weight for many Jewish families given the Holocaust — the genocide of six million Jews,” Jackson said. “In trying to acknowledge that, I misspoke and made a generalization about Jewish Mainers’ views that doesn’t reflect what I meant to say.”
He also committed to fighting antisemitism and working “for lasting peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis” if elected to the Senate.
Jackson became the Democratic pick for the Senate race in July after former nominee Graham Platner’s campaign imploded over accusations of sexual assault and violence against his former partners. The former state lawmaker hopes to unseat five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Jackson has repeatedly referred to the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the subsequent death toll of the Palestinian people as a “genocide.” Platner, who was known for his progressive views, also explicitly referred to the war in Gaza as a “genocide.”
Collins has voiced concerns for the the treatment of both Palestinians and Israelis in the ongoing conflict, but she has previously stopped short of calling it a “genocide.” The senator has also been a staunch advocate for Israel’s “right to defend itself” in the past.
Author
