Maine Senate candidate Jordan Wood now accuses Israel of genocide in policy reversal

Jordan Wood, a Democratic candidate for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat, has changed his position on the war in Gaza and now accuses Israel of genocide. Last November, Wood told commentator Kaivan Shroff that while he believed Israel committed war crimes, he hesitated to use the term genocide due to rising antisemitism. ‘My husband is Jewish, and the acts of violence toward Jewish Americans is very much connected to the language that we use,’ Wood said then. Now, in a social media post, Wood wrote: ‘I believe we can’t continue to fund Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It’s a moral atrocity.’ Wood is seeking the nomination to replace Graham Platner, the anti-Israel progressive who won the primary but dropped out after sexual assault allegations. Platner had used the term genocide without hesitation. Wood’s campaign did not explain his change of heart, but the shift aligns with the growing unpopularity of Israel among Democratic voters. Other major candidates in the race, including Troy Jackson, Nirav Shah and Shenna Bellows, have also accused Israel of genocide since launching their campaigns. Wood will participate in a CNN debate on Thursday ahead of the July 27 nominating convention.

Article and image source: jta.org