Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who has been touted as a prospective 2028 presidential candidate, pledged his state's strong support for Israel and said he will continue to back security for the Jewish community as antisemitism rises.
"Today, I want to be loud and clear that Maryland stands with the Israeli people, and we support their right to exist in the region with the same sense of safety and security that we all want," Moore, a Democrat, said Wednesday in a speech to the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington during its annual legislative breakfast, Jewish Insider reported.
The message echoed remarks he delivered at a memorial days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, the last time he addressed the JCRC.
Moore, a military veteran and Rhodes scholar, said his academic work studying the rise of Islamism helped shape his view of groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
He said Hamas "has not been and will never be a faithful partner in any peace process."
Moore added that a lasting peace would require "humane leadership" for Palestinians, as well as leadership from Israel, the United States, and other nations involved in Gaza's future.
"A very clear understanding that the safety of Palestinians is also the safety of Israelis, and the safety of Israelis is the safety of Palestinians," Moore said.
Moore also tied his position to his faith and family history, noting that many of his ancestors were ministers.
He recounted that his great-grandfather and family left South Carolina for Jamaica after threats tied to his great-grandfather's preaching on equality. Moore said his grandfather later returned to the U.S., developing what Moore described as a deep, lasting love for the country.
On combating antisemitism, Moore said he wants Maryland to be a "shining example" where "hate will absolutely find no oxygen."
He said his 2027 budget request would maintain $10 million for Maryland's Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Program, which provides funding to nonprofits and religious organizations for security needs.
The program was doubled with Moore's support in the 2026 budget, from $5 million to $10 million.
"We are going to make sure that people know that not only do we believe in being a loving community, but that we also believe in consequences for those who don't," Moore said, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Laws don't change the heart, but laws do protect it from the heartless."
Moore referenced the coalition between Black and Jewish leaders during the civil rights movement and said his administration would work to ensure Jewish Marylanders can practice their faith without fear of becoming targets.
He also described meeting Sigal Manzuri, who lost two daughters in the Nova music festival massacre on Oct. 7, saying her message stayed with him.
"Keep searching for love, because in love there is light," Moore quoted her as saying.
Moore closed by thanking attendees for leaning in during what he called "dark, challenging, difficult times," and invoked "tikkun olam," a Hebrew phrase meaning repairing the world.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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