By AP and TOI—
An opinion poll published Sunday shows deep divisions between Israeli and American Jews, particularly in relation to US President Donald Trump, highlighting the growing rift between the world’s two largest Jewish communities.
The survey by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) showed 77 percent of Israeli Jews approved of the president’s handling of US-Israel relations, while only 34 percent of American Jews did. Fifty-seven percent of US Jews disapproved, while only 10 percent of Israeli Jews did.
Concerning the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the relocation of the US embassy to the city, 85% of Israeli Jews support the decision, compared to just 46% of US Jews. Forty-seven percent of American Jews opposed the move, a position held by only 7% of Israelis.The poll also showed 59% of American Jews favoring the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel but only 44% of Israeli Jews supporting the idea.
Regarding Israeli West Bank settlements, internationally regarded as a sticking point in peace negotiations, only 15% of US Jews and 4% of Israeli Jews said they were willing to dismantle all settlements to reach an agreement, while 44% of US Jews and 35% of Israeli Jews agreed that some should be dismantled. Only 35% of US Jews think no settlements should be dismantled for a peace deal, a position held by 54% of Israeli Jews.
“The surveys reveal sharp differences of opinion between the world’s two largest Jewish communities on President Trump, US-Israel relations, and Israel’s security and peace process policies,” the AJC said in a statement.
“The gap between American Jews and Israelis regarding President Trump’s approach to Israel is profound,” the AJC said.
The survey sampled opinions among Jews living in Israel and the US, mostly presenting identical questions to each community. The polling was conducted before the US embassy move on May 14. Israeli polling was conducted by Geocartography by phone. US polling was conducted by SSRS by phone. The polls surveyed 1,000 Israelis and 1,001 Americans and had margins of error of 3.1 and 3.9 percent, respectively.
The poll showed the groups share similar views on the importance of good ties between their two communities. But they differ greatly on matters of religion and state, particularly on the ultra-Orthodox monopoly over religious affairs in Israel. The vast majority of American Jews identify as either Reform or Conservative, liberal streams of Judaism that have a very small foothold in Israel.
On one of the most contentious issues, regarding a mixed-gender prayer area next to Jerusalem’s Western Wall, 73% of American Jews express support, compared to just 42% of Israeli Jews.
A large majority of US Jews (80%) want weddings, divorces and conversions to be opened in Israel to non-Orthodox rabbis, while just 49% of Israelis agree. A similar number of US Jews (81%) support civil marriage and divorce in Israel, but a much smaller majority (55%) of Israeli Jews support the notion and 40% are opposed to it.
Fifty-three percent of US Jews and 40% of Israeli Jews said the current system of Orthodox control in Israel weakens the ties between the communities, and just 14% of Israelis and 7% of US Jews said it strengthens the ties. Thirty-five percent of US Jews and 29% of Israelis said the system has no effect on relations.
The survey was released ahead of the opening of the AJC Global Forum in Jerusalem, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address later Sunday.
Netanyahu has forged a close bond with Trump, and their policies toward the Palestinians have strong support in Israel and among its Republican backers in the US. But most American Jews are Democrats who are usually highly critical of Trump and Netanyahu. Experts have been warning for years that the two communities are drifting in opposite directions politically, undermining the kinship between the two groups that make up the vast majority of Jews in the world.
“Significantly, for both communities, the main factor predicting how people will respond is how they identify religiously,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “The more observant they are on the denominational spectrum, their Jewish identity and attachment to Israel is stronger; skepticism about prospects for peace with the Palestinians higher; and support for religious pluralism in Israel weaker.
“In the survey of American Jews, political affiliation also plays a major role. The majority who identify with the Democratic Party and voted for Hillary Clinton are less attached to Israel, more weakly identified with the Jewish people, and more favorable to religious pluralism than the minority who are Republicans and report that they voted for Donald Trump.”
No surprise to me. The so called American Jews sited in this article are either a part of or sold out to the evil Globalist / Zionists, Rothschild’s. The same people who financed Hitler’s war machine as well as the oven’s across Europe 3/4 of a century ago, and would do it again!
Jew or Gentile, Liberalism is the bane of the West, but true Judeo-Christianity is first and foremost always Jewish and biblically-theologically Judeo! Jesus/Yeshua is organically Jewish!
As a Jew I have always supported Israel. In fact more than the US at times. When I used to go to Israel under President Obama’s administration, in conversation it never failed when I told Israeli’s I was from the US, I would be asked, ” how can you say you love Israel and vote for Obama?” But most US Jews did. The policy’s of the Obama administration were side with Iran, make a 10 year deal with them and give them a billion dollars in cash to fund Hamas and Al Queda. Sworn to eliminate Israel and kill all the Jews, all 13 million of us, including those who live in Scarsdale, and Bel Aire. How can any Jew claim that they are Jews and support the enemy of the Jews. I would answer that question by saying I didn’t and never would vote for President Obama and the Israeli’s would then say how can you allow Jews to vote for him?’ The answer is that although biologically Jewish, geographically they are culturally liberal and hypocritical. They are not people of the Old Testament, they are believers of some cultural liberalism. Prime Minister Netanyahu said to me personally, our best friends in the US are Evangelical Christians. And that is true.
Why do Jews not support Trump, a New Yorker like many of them? Who knows, it didn’t seem popular at the time. But they would always want him to come to their grand daughters bat mitzvah. It makes me crazy!