The Shift: Platner’s win in Maine is another sign that pro-Israel smears no longer work

This week, Graham Platner prevailed in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary. He will take on longtime GOP incumbent Susan Collins in the general election.

Platner’s candidacy has sparked a vast debate about the direction of the Democratic Party. He’s a veteran who advocates for free healthcare and wants higher taxes on the rich. He’s also to the left of most Democratic lawmakers on foreign policy, repeatedly calling for an end to the war on Iran and openly calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide.

“I stand with all people seeking peace, democracy, and self-determination. In this moment, that means a clear-eyed condemnation of the Gaza genocide, and the use of every means available to America to bring it to an end,” declares his campaign website.

These stances have made Platner a target of the pro-Israel crowd, and they have some fodder to work with. Years ago, he got a skull tattoo, which is recognized as a Nazi symbol, but says he didn’t know about its significance when he got it. The New York Times also ran a story in which an ex-girlfriend claims Platner grabbed her by the shoulders and once locked her in a room, which Platner denies.

Israel supporters have strived to establish a connection between Platner’s tattoo and his support for Palestine. “Along the way, Platner has courted multiple rounds of controversy over Israel and Jews,” claims the Jerusalem Post, even though a vast majority of Democratic voters now have a negative view of Israel.

Platner’s criticisms of AIPAC have been attacked as antisemitic by groups like the ADL. “Such accusations call up the age-old dual loyalty trope that casts Jewish Americans as more loyal to Israel than their own country,” said the group in a recent tweet.

After his victory, Trump lambasted Platner in a statement that predictably lacked any sense of self-awareness.

“He’s a thug, and they’re trying to make excuses for him,” said the President. “I mean, he’s worse than any human being that’s ever run for office, probably.”

None of this stuff has seemed to have much of an impact on Platner’s poll numbers, as all signs still point to the fact that he has a great chance of unseating Collins. It’s not the only pro-Israel smear campaign to fall flat recently. Earlier this month, Dr. Adam Hamawy won New Jersey’s 12th district primary despite dubious allegations of terrorism connections, and Chris Rabb won in Pennsylvania’s 3rd district despite the usual claims of antisemitism.

Lately, videos of reporters interviewing Maine voters have gone viral across social media. The vast majority of them seem completely unfazed by the attacks and committed to beating Collins.

One supporter shrugged off the tattoo allegations, saying she didn’t believe he knew it was associated with Nazis. When the reporter asked whether she’d be that forgiving if Platner had a tattoo of the Israeli flag, she confirmed that would be a dealbreaker.

“I don’t support genocide, and he doesn’t either, and that would show that he’s being inconsistent,” she explained.

“This should not be welcome in the Democratic Party!” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer in an angry tweet, but again, the Democratic base has already turned on Israel. The only outliers in the party are the lawmakers.

AIPAC intervenes in Maryland

Let’s turn to Maryland, where longtime incumbent and pro-Israel zealot Steny Hoyer is retiring in the state’s 5th district.

Last weekend, AIPAC spent over $1 million boosting state delegate Adrian Boafo, who calls for strengthening the U.S.–Israel alliance.

Maryland Matters points out that the Israel lobby’s transition from Hoyer to Boafo has been fairly seamless. “Hoyer’s close ties to pro-Israel organizations have also resulted in a financial windfall for Boafo’s campaign,” notes the website. However, they also observe that this backing comes with “some political risk,” as Democratic voters have soured on Israel.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is sounding the alarm on the outside spending in this race, which has also come from Crypto lobbying groups.

“Voters need to understand that these groups are not investing in this race out of charity,” he explained during a recent press conference. “They are spending because they believe the beneficiary of their spending — in this case, one candidate, Adrian Boafo — will be a dependable vote in support of their special interests.”

“It’s no secret that AIPAC’s position of providing unconditional American taxpayer support for the government of Israel is not a popular position,” he later added.

As Jewish Insider notes, AIPAC is betting on Boafo because he’s a party favorite, and Steny Hoyer’s district probably won’t generate much anti-Israel sentiment. However, the same article quotes an anonymous Maryland Jewish leader, who tells the website that the lobbying group would spend its money on more threatening races, as there appears to be no threat of a pro-Palestine candidate emerging as a contender in this contest.

“AIPAC would be better off spending money to back good candidates in races where bad candidates could win,” he said.

“In other races, though, where candidates backed by AIPAC are running, the group is viewed negatively by Democrats, raising questions about whether it would hurt their prospects if it engaged openly or even with a shell PAC,” points out JI.