Poll: 65% of Jewish Israelis say U.S. Jews should criticize Obama's Mideast policy
B’nai B’rith survey also found 54% of Jewish Israelis believe Jewish advocacy groups who work with foreign governments should always support Israeli policy.
By Natasha Mozgovaya and Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Barack Obama Jewish worldSixty-five percent of Jewish Israelis believe U.S. Jews should criticize the Obama administration's policy toward Israel, according to a survey published in June that was conducted on behalf of the B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem.
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U.S. President Barack Obama |
| Photo by: Archive |
The fifth annual Survey of Contemporary Israeli Attitudes Toward World Jewry, conducted by Keevoon Research, surveyed 500 Jewish Israelis over the age of 18 between June 1 and 4. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.
Twelve percent of respondents said American Jews should support Obama's current policy on Israel.
The survey also found that 46 percent of Jewish Israelis believe American Jews are reluctant to criticize the Obama administration's Israeli policy due to fear of being accused of dual loyalty. Meanwhile, 36 percent said that type of accusation has no effect on them.
Meanwhile, 54 percent of Jewish Israelis believe that Jewish advocacy groups who work with foreign governments and call themselves "pro-Israel" should always support Israeli government policy.
A majority of Jewish Israelis (55 percent) also said they believe a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to the survival of Israel as a Jewish democratic state.
However, 49 percent disagreed that settlements pose a threat to Israel and "feed the delegitimization process" that Israel currently faces.
Respondents were also asked questions about immigration, including the Law of Return and what role the Jewish Agency should play in forging Jewish identity in the Diaspora.
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You call these Jews? What a joke they may call themselves that but in name only...They forget the heritage Israel gave them Shame on them going against their brothers kissing the butts of others...No backbone for them as they show that often...
Who cares about your poll, here in the US we will vote any which way we want..
The question is: how many Jewish Americans think that Obama should criticize Israel? I think that many more than we assume.
from B'nai Brith proposition to give carte blanche acceptance to Israeli foreign policies. Of course I advocate for Israel and the Jewish community, but in years past when B'nai Brith was not opposed to the settlements development in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Gaza, which perpetuated the conflict with the Palestinians and the Arabs, I don't see why every Jew in Diaspora had to agree. More than half of Israeli Jews did not agree, so why the double standard? And lastly, U.S. President Obama's approach has been okay with the Israeli Government and he has the best interest for the Jewish State and U.S. interests as well. No relationship between nations is smooth at all times. B'nai Brith does a lot of fine things and my father even participated in the Club Aluma with other Canadian Israelis but the organization is not essentially Israel's mouthpiece - it's one of many.
Perhaps we agree with President Obama more than we do with current Bibi gov't? Perhaps we see that Bibi has done nothing and wants to do nothing...but we think that doing nothing re continued west bank/east J-m settlement does not help to SOLVE this problem. Perhaps we believe that Israel is "circling the wagons" into a shtetl like mentality is NOT helpful in long run for Israel... should we still agree with the Israeli government?
obama's word i don't trust he's just a puppet on a string
Want a two-state solution, but don't believe that building in the other state is a hindrance to that goal. You all obviously need a national psychiatrist work on your split personality.
Many American Jews are much more liberal than Israeli Jews. The racism that exists in Israel is something that offends many American Jews. Plus, religiously, the state has rejected many American Jews as not stringent enough. Many don't believe supporting Israel means ignoring racism and human rights violations.
lets be honest; american jews are ignorant, selfish, and afraid to give up their status within non jewish circles at the expense of the truth about israel and her legitimate rights and concerns.
65% of Christians support Obama
Only mad hysterical little Jewish old ladies are enraged by criticism. Criticism comes from the word, - critical. Without criticism there can never be any improvement, because you are in denial that any problem exists at all. Only ignorant scared little people, who must have everybody agree with them,( because they so much doubt their own reality), need your support to nourish their lies to themselves, (much like organized relegion).
...could arguably be categorized as "walking in lock-step"--which makes sense--unless there's a cliff up ahead.
Many American Jews except for a few well connected right wing Jewish members of Jewish Federations, AIPAC and the ADL feel an unease with the Israeli government. There is less patience for Israeli folly in dealing with the Palestinian issue. It is quite possible we will be seeing an expanding divided between US and Israeli communities in the near future...unless the Israeli government changes policy.
The majority of Israelis want people to agree with them—and take it personally when they don't. I'm an American Jew. I find Israel to be acting against its long-term best interests, usually in the name of short-term ego boosts. I consider myself pro-Israel simply by virtue of being a critic. The idea that true friends can never be critical is childish and offensive.
So a two state solution is desirable, but the settlements aren't an issue? How on earth can these views be squared cognitively?