Poll: American voters’ support for Israel rising
By REBECCA ANNA STOIL, JERUSALEM POST
WASHINGTON – Americans’ support for Israel is up, with the increase coming from unexpected sectors, an Israel Project poll released on Thursday revealed.
So-called “opinion elites” and Democratic voters drove the shift, which pegged American voter support for Israel around the 60 percent mark in the survey conducted last week.
RELATED:
Poll first: More Jewish voters disapprove of Obama’s job performance than approve
According to the poll, Jewish approval of the president’s performance declined to 45 percent, with 48 percent disapproving and 7 percent undecided. Last year, 51 percent approved of Obama’s job performance and 44 percent disapproved.
AJC also surveyed Jews’ opinions about the current GOP presidential contenders. In match-ups with the president, AJC found that Mitt Romney would fare best among Jewish voters when running against Obama, with 32 percent of the Jewish vote compared with Obama’s 50 percent. Perry would attract 25 percent of the Jewish vote against Obama’s 55 percent, and Bachmann would get 19 percent to Obama’s 59 percent.
The poll demonstrated that support for Israel among President Barack Obama’s Democratic voters was on the rise, and that the majority of Americans believed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was more committed to peace than his Palestinian counterpart.
Support for Israel among Democrats has risen by 10 percentage points in the past six months, while support among independent voters and Republicans has remained steady.
The current support for Israel reflects the highest rate since 2009 among polls conducted for the Israel Project. “Opinion elites” – responders who display high engagement in foreign policy, education and income – showed an even more pronounced level of support, exceeding the general sample by 7 percentage points.
“This poll shows that Israel is significantly more popular among American voters than either the president or Congress,” Israel Project Founder and President Jennifer Laszlo-Mizrahi said. “Second, it shows that the American public really supports the peace process and the two-state solution.”
Laszlo-Mizrahi said that American support for Israel had been improved in recent months by Obama’s September 21 speech at the UN General Assembly in which he reaffirmed Israel’s right to exist.
In addition, she said, “during the situation involving the release of Gilad Schalit, the American public saw and appreciated the wrenching agony surrounding the decision to release hundreds of convicted terrorists for one soldier. Americans respected Israel’s commitment to the safety of its citizens.”
Respondents characterized Israel as “one of our strongest allies” (68%) and a “democracy” (66%) while rejecting the notion that Israel is “extremist” (61%) or “responsible for the violence” (65%).
Over half of those polled – 56% – consider Palestinians to be “extremist” and an “obstacle to peace,” and 55% do not consider Palestinians to be “victims.”
The voters polled cited women’s rights, freedom of speech, voting, freedom of religion, and the threat of terrorism (24%) as the top reasons they are proud of America’s strong alliance with Israel – although none of those reasons appeared as clearly dominant.
Lazslo-Mizrahi said that some of these reasons, particularly women’s rights, resonate particularly strongly in contrast to recent developments in Arab countries, such as calls to institute Shari’a law and polygamy in Libya.
What was dominant was support for a two-state solution that would recognize “Israel as a homeland of the Jewish people and Palestine as the homeland of the Palestinian people.” Seventy- three percent of voters, and 86% of opinion elite said that they supported such a plan.
Days before Obama, in a conversation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was caught expressing frustration with Netanyahu’s efforts on the peace process, a majority of American voters (60%) said that Netanyahu and Israel are committed to peace, while 52% say that President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are not committed to that end.
The poll also found strong concern regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“America has become very partisan, but this is a subject that seems to cross that divide,” Lazslo-Mizrahi said.
Two-thirds (65%) of those polled view Iran negatively, and there is strong support for varied actions against Teheran, including supporting opposition groups in the country (82%), which can be taken toward Iran if it does not stop its nuclear program.
Respondents listed support for Hamas and Hezbollah (30%), and statements by Iran’s government that it wants to wipe Israel off the map (28%) as top reasons of concern regarding the Islamic Republic.
I’m kicking their @$$, not whining like those of you who blame others for Israeli decisions. Since you seem to be too dense to make the connection, the otyher liberals have no vested interest in Israel’s survival.
The last time I checked the State Dept. works for the President. Secondly, they do not support “jihad” any more than you do. They believe they are keeping the Arab countries off Israel’s back.
Nice try. This is a typical liberal tactic of lying and expecting me to take the bait. Didn’t work.
Americaneagle, whining about liberal Jews is a waste of time. We’re all aware that just like liberal non-Jews, and 99% of blacks, they were all bamboozled.
“Since I support Israel unconditionally and oppose liberals of all stripes including liberal American Jews who should have known better, I wonder which government I am supposed to represent?”
If your support is so unconditional, then why do you skirt around the topic of the State Department’s 30+ year support for jihad (including billions of dollars and thousands of soldier lives)??
Why do you support the ‘poor tormented Muslim nazi’ narrative with regard to other places in the world where non-Muslims are under attack by Muslims?
It used to, Abie, until 2011 years ago:-))
Now you see even Ted getting confused between liberal Jews and Jews in general [See Post No 1], and Yamit and his bigots will accept ANYTHING, even putting Israel in harm’s way, as long as it is done by a Jew.
In the meantime, I would ask the rest of you who are sane Jews to please thank Hashem, that HIS Americans who are mostly Christians, will support Israel unconditionally, regardless of the Yamits and the nit-pickers, nose-pickers and whiners who blame all Israeli decisions on others. I know Laura does and she is the most perspicacious of all the Jewish posters on this forum and an American patriot.
In the immortal words of Mel Brooks:
HWSNBN I am glad this one is dead and this one! 😛
HWSNBN is still among us 8)
american eagle- dont you know the sun revolves around the Jews.
Yamit, well put. I go ballistic when anyone says anything prejudicial about the most persecuted religion in religious history. The most sainted and the most spiritual and probably the oldest, namely the scientologists.harry Krishnah comes a close second. What about the black church that does some strange things with chickens or is it roosters, their nane is on the tip of my tongue- the rasssfarians, I believe. and then how about michelle bachmans fav church
Andrew, are you still beating your wife – or is that your boyfriend now?
Still angry at your wife leaving you?
Ted actually is saying:
Waaah! AE is “picking on the Jews”! Waaah! “What is his fixation with them?” Waaah! “Is it standard “blame the Jews” shtick?” Waaah! Waaah! Waaah! Sob! Sob! Sniffle! Snort!
Prior to the comment above, the same Ted Belman wrote:
Anyone with more than half a brain should be able to see just by comparing the two highlighted comments by the same guy, Ted Belman, that my problem – by his own admission – is with liberal Jews who voted for Darth Vad.., ….er, Barack Obama, not with “Jews” in general, as his pathetic whiny comment claims.
I have a problem with ANY IDIOT, Jewish or not, who voted for the most unqualified, uninformed, unpatriotic, inexperienced, incompetent, irresponsible and anti-American and anti-Semitic president in US history for two reasons. a) His deliberate attempts to destroy the US economy and waste taxpayer money on his voting blocks and political cronies, and, b) His attempts to pressure Israel far more than any other US president by also kowtowing to the Arabs and Iran who have vowed to destroy it.
Ted Belman sees himself as an Israeli patriot, yet he is seen in post No 1 above attacking an unconditional non-Jewish supporter of Israel and showing sympathy for liberal American Jews, 78% of whom amazingly voted for Obama in 2008 AFTER knowing the formative influence on him over his entire life by a series of communists, Islamic and domestic terrorists and anti-American and anti-Semitic clerics, and 45% of whom still do, which is even more amazing since we now know FOR SURE how destructive he is to America, Israel and the world.
Andrew is actually saying:
Waaah! Why is AE being allowed to blast liberal American Jews? Waaah! After all, all they did was help elect
the most unqualified, uninformed, unpatriotic, inexperienced, incompetent, irresponsible and anti-American and anti-Semitic president in US history. Waaah! What’s so bad about that? Waaah! Ted, please make him stop!
What Yamit is actually saying here if you follow his posts and can interpret his vile propaganda is, “On behalf of my handlers at Hamas, I can testify that AE is against all Jews. On behalf of Hamas I demand that he stop.”
jrob is actually saying:
Waaah! AE seems to be a government agent! Waaah! He exposes liberal Jews who voted for the most unqualified, uninformed, unpatriotic, inexperienced, incompetent, irresponsible and anti-American and anti-Semitic president in US history. Waaah! What’s so bad about that? Waaah! Ted, please make him stop!
Comment from AE: Since I support Israel unconditionally and oppose liberals of all stripes including liberal American Jews who should have known better, I wonder which government I am supposed to represent? LOL!
Compare Yamit’s bullshit about “blaming Jews as a people” with the following comment from Ted Belman in No. 1 above:
Does this sound like I’m “blaming Jews as a people”, or am I blaming liberal Jews very specifically?
Now do you folks understand the difference between the truth and the obvious falsehoods of Yamit?
The rest of his comments in No. 7 are similarly spurious. For example consider this idiotic comment:
If I had a problem with Christians would it make sense to let them know on a Christian site – or on a non-Christian site where no Christian would be likely to see my comments?
In that case what is someone like you, who is on the same side as Hamas, doing on this site?
What we see here is three idiots, as I have proven above using their own words, re-defining their own idiocy as sagacity. All I can say is LOL!
Just call me Mr. Sagacious. 😛
That is very Sagacious Yamit. Well done from me too.
Exactly. You nailed it and him at the same time. I wish I could have set it out so clearly. Well done.
Bland you are highly selective in your choice of quotes and since you yourself have risen to similar heights of anti Jewishness and anti Israeli polemics and diatribes. Support from you for AE is almost a given. Like minded support like minded.
One definition of antisemitism is: Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
Blaming the Jews exclusively for Obama, fits the definition.
It is almost an exception that AE does not rant about and against the 78% of Jews in America who voted for Obama. His hatred for Obama, liberals and democrats is pathological. While 100% of his rants against liberals and democrats may or may-not be correct, never has he uttered a single negative against any conservative, Republican, or Christian, not a single instance. He denigrates and mocks Jewish beliefs. Maligns and slanders anyone who disagrees with him. Evades and is non responsive to any data or opinions he can’t refute by supported argument as opposed to unsupported personal opinion.
Israpundit is a site run by a Jew whose raison d’etre is support and advocacy of Israel and I assume Jews and Jewish interests. While I realize many non Jews read and comment on this site it’s chutzpa to come on this site and bash Jews, their beliefs and or Israel.
I would never consider going on a Christian site to decry and mock beliefs in Jesus or mock Christians. Somethings are not done. That doesn’t mean that criticism and critical opinions by anyone should not be voiced if supported.
Think of it this way. A black American may get away with calling another black America Niger. A White person calling a Black, Niger might get a shiv between his ribs and would be considered a racist by the general population. We Jews may criticize each other as a dispute within our Jewish family. Some of us resent when you do it and especially how you do it. I don’t like knives but am good with my fists.
I just read American Eagle’s last post on that site:
I don’t see any connection between this and Ted’s criticism of him. Posters on Israpundit, I included, tend to go stratospheric with insults at times. AE doesn’t have to stand for this any more than anyone else. If standing up for one’s self against abuse is “Antisemitic”, then so be it.
Thanks, Yamit, for giving the link. I was wondering what this is all about. Concerning the opening piece, I am glad American Jews are starting to kick the Democrat habit and becoming more typically American voters. Maybe this coming election will mark a turning point. If, for some reason, Obama were to follow President Lyndon Johnson’s lead and decide not to run, Jewish voters might reflexively jerk back and support Hillary Clinton.
I hope Obama runs, and loses; but I am not at all confident that the Republican who gets in, whoever he is, will be any better. We would still be run by the bankers; and even if they were put aside, we would still have an easily manipulated populace like the one that voted for bad leaders like Carter, Obama, the Bushes and Clinton. At the very least, I hope we can end the Yale and Oxford dynasties, and the Saudi specials.
If Clinton becomes President, will Suha Arafat become First Lady? Will Bill have his own place? Questions, questions!
AE seems to be some sort of governmental disinformation shill at once: blaming Jews for electing Obama (as if there are enough Jews to do this), denying the US/EU role in coercing other countries into doing various things, denying the US/EU role in attacking other countries with pro-Islamist policy, supporting the ‘poor tormented Muslim nazi’ story for countries other than Israel, when it’s it’s a neo-nazi lie whether discussing the Muslim nazis of the Phillipines, Africa, Thailand, Balkans, Caucuses, etc.
He interferes with and sidetracks logical discussions.
AE didn’t write anything on this thread. But he wrote on another thread about liberal Jews and almost every time he comments on Obama he repeats it. I just got tired of it because something seemed not right about him harping on it.
I love you lack of bias and clear minded ability to reason dispassionately. Laura, we need a lot more like you.You are an absolute gem.
I have blasted liberal Jews myself because they so often deserve it for the reason that they are harmful to Jews. Alot of conservatives blast liberal Jews not because they are anti-Semites but precisely because they are friends of Israel and the Jewish people and see Jewish liberals as undermining Israel’s cause. I don’t know what AE wrote but it must have been really bad for Ted to have deleted it.
I pegged him as a closet liberal and a Jew basher [if not an outright Jew hater], from his first comments:
This is the thread where AE first commented on Israpundit.
I suggest one and all read the comments.
Begin with comments 13-16
Yes and why he is still allowed to post is a mystery.
AE never loses an opportunity to blast liberal Jews. First he kept complaining of the 78% who voted for Obama and more recently he has been referring to 45% in favour of Obama. That’s still not low enough for him.
If anything it should be the Jews who didn’t vote for Obama that should be complaining the most about their brethren. They do in a fashion but their complaints do come near the intensity and frequency of the complaints by AE. I find this real strange. Why is AE picking on the Jews? What is his fixation with them? Is it standard “blame the Jews” antisemitic shtick? These liberal Jews owe him nothing but they do owe their brethren community solidarity on the all important issue of Israel.