Richard Bennett

Independent · Governor, Maine

Bennett has not spoken publicly on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. No statement was found in source-checked research across 7 sources.

7 sources checked and read, every one listed on the research page. Most candidates at this level have simply never been asked.

You are better placed to change that than we are. Ask Bennett directly, or at a candidate forum, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in their own words, which is worth more than anything we could write about them.

An earlier check had already recorded, with a date, that no position on this question was found here, and that finding is preserved in the record.

Research

What was looked for, and what came back

What the first search did return, on the other questions

The card's claim is about what the United States sends, and that question came back empty. These questions did return material. It is reproduced word for word so nothing found is lost, and it is context rather than a position on U.S. weapons or money. Em dashes are rendered as hyphens to satisfy house style; no wording is changed.

### U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel No record of personal statements, legislative proposals, or public actions by Richard Bennett regarding U.S. military aid or weapons sales to Israel was found.

### Characterization of the conflict * **February 13, 1999:** While serving in the Maine State Senate, Bennett visited the Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield, Maine, an international youth camp that brings together Israeli and Arab teenagers to foster dialogue. Praising the camp's mission and comparing it to Maine's political environment, Bennett stated that mutual respect is "a hallmark of what makes Maine special from a governmental point of view" and shared a Margaret Mead quote encouraging the young participants to make a difference.

Beyond this visit, no direct personal statements or public commentary characterization of the broader Israel/Palestine conflict by Bennett were identified.

### Rhetoric and lobbying * **April 28, 2021:** Bennett co-sponsored bipartisan legislation in the Maine Legislature aiming to restrict or eliminate funding for the Maine Information Analysis Center (MIAC), the state's police fusion center. The legislative effort followed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that MIAC had engaged in improper surveillance of environmental activists, gun owners, and counselors at the Seeds of Peace camp, an Israel-Palestine peacebuilding organization based in Maine. In a legislative public hearing regarding the bill, Bennett criticized the agency's overreach, stating that "from the days of its origins, the Maine fusion center has lacked the oversight, transparency, and proper accountability of a public agency".

No other specific public statements or actions regarding Israel-related lobbying or political rhetoric were found.

### Safety and antisemitism * **January 24, 2023:** During a Maine State Senate session, Bennett led the chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance on the day the legislature considered and adopted a Joint Resolution recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day and endorsing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

No other specific public statements or actions regarding Jewish safety or antisemitism were identified.

Sources consulted and read (7)

Earlier finding, preserved

Not found

Also in this race: Bobby Charles (Republican), Hannah Pingree (Democrat) · All Maine candidates.

See the full record →

But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.