[finnigan2]

"Why do so many American Jews hate the president who stands by Israel?"

- My own theory of this is rooted in the Jewish immigration from eastern Europe that took place early in the last century. They fled mostly to escape poverty, and many arrived with strong communist sympathies as the best solution to the world's problems.
With the coming of the Great Depression and FDR's socialist inspired, "New Deal" many Jewish immigrants found a home in the Democratic Party since it's policies most nearly mirrored their own left wing beliefs.
McCarthy's attempt to winkle out communists in the early fifties was interpreted as some sort of right wing attack (ie; Republican) on their views which only reinforced their allegiance to the Democratic Party.
As to the matter of Israel, I think many American Jews appear to act indifferent to the situation there because they still do not really appreciate the threat. They think that Israel can handle the situation as easily as they handled all the Arab threats in the past and they can go on safely supporting the Dems and hating Bush without fear of consequence.
If Israel were to be truly threatened, I'm sure that they would close ranks in support of that country but, in effect, this would only mean that their criticism's of Bush would become more muted and, when the danger to Israel passed, I'm afraid that they would revert to their old Democratic Party allegiances.
Old habits are hard to break.

[mcvey]

Yes, I think what you have is correct. There is, and it is something I have never been in touch with, a desire in Judaism for a communitarian utopia. That almost always means a strong central government.

I have remarked on a number of occasions that any Jew who believes in a strong central government has a learning disability.

McVey