3 min read

Jody Augustadt of Gorham is a retired information technology professional currently volunteering for various arts, environment and education initiatives.

In Kennebunkport, the concrete sidewalk of Silas Perkins Park bears an engraved poem by the beloved Maine poet Silas Perkins, “The Common Road.” Its final stanza offers a heartfelt reminder of our shared humanity:

“I want to lend a helping hand / Over the rough and steep / To a child too young to understand / To comfort those who weep.”

Today, Mainers are deeply needed to “lend a hand.” The children of Gaza deserve a government that puts their lives first — one that invests in their future rather than constructing 500 miles of military tunnels where no civilian child was permitted to seek shelter. To protect these children, we must support the United States and Israel in removing Hamas from power.

Instead, many politicians ignore a vital bedrock principle of justice — innocent until proven guilty — by stating the accusation of genocide against Israel as fact. This rush to judgment comes at a steep cost. It harms the children of Gaza, compromises the safety of the Jewish community here in the United States, undermines a critical strategic ally and violates the core legal principles that define our nation.

The presumption of innocence is not a mere courtroom technicality; it is a vital shield for a free society. Its roots span thousands of years, beginning in Ancient Roman Law: “Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat” — the burden of proof rests on the one who asserts, not on the one who denies.

While the phrase does not explicitly appear in the text of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court formally recognized it as a constitutional right derived from the Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendments in the landmark 1895 case Coffin v. United States. It safeguards against wrongful conviction and counteracts inherent human bias. Human systems are prone to error, prejudice and false accounts.

Genocide is universally recognized as the worst stain against humanity. Yet, the accusation against Israel is rarely debated or proven legally; instead, it is presented in bullet points and amplified as fact, serving as a modern blood libel against the Jewish state.

As Jonathan Swift wrote in 1710, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” To broadcast an unproven accusation as truth against a sovereign nation reveals an accuser who is either uninformed, misguided or a charlatan.

The accusation of genocide is fundamentally contradicted by documented reality on the ground:

• Polio eradication: In 2024, the IDF and the World Health Organization (WHO) successfully inoculated 560,000 Gazan children against polio.
• Population demographics: The population of Gaza stood at 2.2 million on Oct. 6, 2023, and was recorded at 2.1 million in July 2026 — a variance of 4.5%.
• Civilian protections: Israel actively called for civilian evacuations in northern Gaza, delaying its ground operations for weeks to allow residents to move out of harm’s way.
• Casualty breakdown: The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in July 2026 that 50% of the 71,444 documented fatalities were adult men.
• Human shield tactics: American intelligence confirmed that Hamas utilized al-Shifa hospital as a command center and a site to hold hostages.
• Aid obstruction: In July 2026, the U.N. reported that Hamas routinely smuggled humanitarian food aid and obstructed its distribution to civilians.

In Maine, we pride ourselves on straight talk, independent thinking and a steadfast commitment to truth. When public leaders bypass the legal systems designed to establish objective facts, they replace truth with political convenience, reducing a complex international conflict to inflammatory rhetoric. This irresponsibility fuels hostility here at home while prolonging suffering in Gaza.

I am asking our political leaders to uphold the principles of the Constitution. They must stop treating accusations as convictions. Either prove the case through proper channels or cease using the rhetoric of genocide. Furthermore, I urge our communities to support our government and Israel in removing Hamas from power.