Who Are Israel’s Friends in the USA?

Israpundit ^ | October 11, 2010

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

On Friday, I looked at the results of a new poll surveying voters’ opinions on Israel and, more generally, the Middle East. While Americans remain overwhelmingly pro-Israel and are troubled by Obama’s approach to the Middle East, there are significant differences between sub-groups of Americans. In this post, I’ll focus on the cross-tabs that highlight the differences in attitudes toward Israel among religious groups and those self-described atheists. The full cross-tabs can be found here.

I’ll begin with a general observation: almost all the support for Israel statistically comes from non-Jews. This is simply a mathematical reality. The poll sampled 1,000 voters, only 1.6 percent of whom were Jewish (slightly below the commonly used 2 percent figure). Fifty-eight percent were Protestant, and 25 percent were Catholic. That means the overwhelming number of those who support Israel, as is the case in the general population, are non-Jews.

However, this doesn’t mean religion is irrelevant. Take the question as to whether voters favor Israel using military force against Iran if sanctions don’t derail its nuclear program. Overall, 58 percent would approve. That number is 72 percent for Jews but nearly as high for born again Christians (67 percent). Among atheists? It drops to 40 percent. This pattern repeats itself throughout the poll.

On the question of how concerned we should be about Israel’s security, 100 percent of Jews said “very” or “somewhat.” The lowest/worst response was 88 percent (still high) from atheists, and the second highest/best response again came from born again Christians, with 94 percent.

On Obama’s handling of our relations with Israel, 52 percent of Jews approve; only atheists, at 61 percent, have a higher approval. Protestants and Catholics rank him in the low 40s, and once again, born-again Christians give him the lowest marks (35 percent). All groups except atheists think by a strong plurality that Obama is harming Israel’s security. If Israel attacked Iran to prevent it from going nuclear, 66 percent of Jews said that would be a “defensive” move. The number for born again Christians is 71 percent.

This vividly illustrates a point that I and others have made for some time: Jews by themselves are a tiny percentage of the population who, on their own, could not sustain national support for Israel. It is by and large the support from the majority of Christians that nurtures the U.S.-Israel relationship. Protestants and Catholics demonstrate solid support for Israel, while born again Christians consistently are the most critical of Obama and the most supportive of Israel. Although the poll doesn’t ask why respondents believe as they do, it’s fair to conclude that a great number of the most resolute non-Jewish supporters (i.e., born again Christians) do so for religious reasons.

And what of the other Americans, religious or not? It’s reasonable to conclude that there is a large segment of Americans who, for reasons entirely distinct from religion and with no personal or ethnic tie to the Jewish state, nevertheless are strongly committed to its security and survival. That is remarkable, a tribute the innate decency and common sense of the American people. They have, despite a barrage of propaganda from Israel’s foes, figured out who are the “good guys” in the Middle East and which country shares our values and concerns.

This data is helpful in rebutting the Israel-haters’s rhetoric railing against the “influence of the Israel lobby.” Their beef is not with Jews (or only with Jews) who support Israel; it is with their countrymen of every faith. For religious reasons or not, the American public hasn’t been swayed by the delegitimizers and Israel-bashers, to the great frustration of those who blame Israel for the woes of the Middle East.

In the next post on the poll, I will look at the politics of the Israel-supporters and -bashers. No surprise to readers of this blog: Democrats and liberals more generally aren’t the mainstay of support for the Jewish state.

[utherdoul]

I wonder if Israel got the best of the jewish population and sent most of the castoffs to new york.

[Candor7]

Interesting article on anti semitism developing in the USA.

(data based)

[hecht]

No , I can say as an Ortho Jew that the best perished in the Holocaust. the worst came to America 1880-1910. fortunately the survivors of the Holocaust both in America and Israel are the future of Jewry

[hecht]

No , I can say as an Ortho Jew that the best perished in the Holocaust. the worst came to America 1880-1910. fortunately the survivors of the Holocaust both in America and Israel are the future of Jewry

[Candor7]

Very informative article, thanks for posting it.It will mean a lot to Jewish Freepers.

I admire Bibi, and personally believe he now occupies the seat of defender of the Westren World, a seat occupied continuously by a US pesident until the current piece of trash took office.

If one compares their respectie speeches to the United Nations Assembly ( You Tube) in 2009, you can clearly see the truth of what I say. Bibi gae a speech very much like Ronald Reagan would have. Obama just fawned and apologized for America’s “history” and greatness, and genuflected to Muslim countries.

[MarkBsnr]

The last few years have overwhelmingly shown that the best friends that Israel has right now are in Canada. Now that the children are running the White House, and both houses of Congress, the only adults left are north of the border.

[DGHoodini]

Not Democrats! And not the fake reformists, and secular “Jews”. They aren’t Jews any more...Hell, they aren’t even *human* much less than Chosen any more. They are Sevants of Baal.

[Category Four]

Who are Israel's friends in the USA?

*raises hand*

[Torahman]

Biblical Christians are uneasy; they know that Historical, institutional Christianity has run it's course and is loosing momentum. They sense in their kishkas that Israel are God's chosen and that, somehow, they are called to defend her. They just don't know how they fit in, i.e. Why G-d has preserved the Jewish people and yet called them (biblical Christians) to be in relationship with Him and with Israel. What then will they do? They will turn to Torah by the millions and their sons and daughters will fight and die defending the Scriptures, the People and the Land of Israel.

[rlmorel]

I am.

[Domandred]

Who Are Israel’s Friends in the USA?

I stand with Israel.

[Salem]

"On Obama’s handling of our relations with Israel, ... and once again, born-again Christians give him the lowest marks (35 percent)."

Hmmph. 35 percent must have been the misguided liberal element.

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[caww]

I have Jewish friends who voted BO...Union members they will always vote Democrate. They do not follow politics at all and just go with the flow of the Union. Easy to say we have less than a warm friendship when it comes to politics....but it’s pretty good on religious matters.

[zeestephen]

I am not a spiritual person, but I have stood with Israel and Conservative Republicans since the 1950’s.

It bewilders and demoralizes me that 80% of American Jews stand with the left wing of the Democratic Party.

[Dogbert41]

I have to completely distance myself from that comment of yours.

[Dogbert41]

I have to completely distance myself from that comment of yours. It’s just that He is not yet done and we of all people should know better that when those “Baal” Jews come back to God, it is going to be AMAZING!

[left that other site]

It was a Typo.

It SHOULD read MINUS 35%! LOL.

No, I guess not(sigh). Open Our eyes, Father!

[SJackson]

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