Maine Rabbis Reject Gaza 'Genocide' Label in Joint Call for Peace

All 11 congregational rabbis in Maine signed a joint statement calling for peace and asking the state's political leaders to stop describing Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza as genocide. The rabbis said using the term as a political slogan erases moral and legal distinctions, diminishes the meaning of genocide and inflames hatred toward the local Jewish community. They also called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to end the cycle of violence and build a better future for both peoples' children. The statement followed a Democratic Senate nominating contest in which several candidates adopted the genocide label.