Ever since the last of a series of full-scale blowups between the Obama administration and Israel, Democrats have been desperately trying to convince Jewish voters that the president really is the Jewish state’s best friend. In order to do so, voters would have to ignore most of what had happened in the first three years of his presidency but they were able to argue that his decision not to blow up the U.S.-Israel alliance completely ought to serve as proof of his good intentions. That’s enough for many Jews whose partisan preferences leave them ready to believe the Democrats’ talking points. But while American voters, Jewish and non-Jewish who consider the question an important one, ponder the question of which presidential candidate is a better friend to Israel, the people with the most on the line in the Middle East also have an opinion.
The latest poll of Israeli views of the U.S. election is similar to previous surveys on the question of American leadership: they don’t trust President Obama. As the Jerusalem Post reports, a new Peace Index/Dahaf Institute poll shows that 2-1 majority of Israeli Jews think Mitt Romney cares more about them than the president. Forty percent of respondents said Romney “assigns more importance to defending Israeli national interests” while 19 percent said Obama did. Ten percent saw neither as being more supportive than the other while 25 percent said they didn’t know and six percent said “neither” backed their country. Back in April a Smith Research/Jerusalem Post poll found that 60 percent of Israelis saw Obama as either pro-Palestinian or neutral in the Middle East conflict. All of which leads one to wonder why so many American Jews think they understand Obama’s views of the question better than Israelis.
The answer to that question is fairly obvious. It’s not that most Jewish Democrats really believe that Obama is sympathetic to the Jewish state. They have eyes and ears like the rest of us and can easily pick up the fact that, as veteran peace processor Aaron David Miller put it, “unlike [Bill] Clinton and George W. Bush, Obama isn’t in love with the idea of Israel.” It’s not just that most Jews aren’t single-issue Israel voters, it’s that for many of them, it doesn’t much matter. Others, including many liberals who do care about Israel, find reasons to grade him on a steep curve that allows him to pass muster because of his liberal positions on domestic issues.
But for that 10-25 percent of the Jewish electorate whose votes are in play this fall, the question of the president’s record on Israel will be important. Polls showing Israeli distrust of the president — which is getting deeper because of his lack of resolve on the Iranian nuclear threat — will make it even harder for Democrats to convince voters that he can be trusted to do the right thing for the Jewish state.
Not a single one of my Christian friends can understand how any Jew who says he supports Israel can support Obama. I am as perplexed as they, but most members of my family, sometimes even my wife, regards me as a traitor for being a proud conservative.
Someone with leftist international relations views can easily believe that Obama is superior for Israel. Polls can be explained away with the simple notion that Israelis are insufficiently appreciative of such views. Leftist elites know better than most Israelis, better than most Americans, better than most Jews; regardless of Obama's sympathies, his leftism means that in the end he's better for Israel. Compared with how dumb/cold-hearted/whatever any Republican would be, most Jewish Democrats probably find your lack of faith in Obama to be disturbing.
regards me as a traitor n nTraitor to whom or what?
If you want to know how Mr. Obama thinks of Israel, just ask him. He told us: Mr. Obama wants to put more daylight between the U.S. and Israel. Clearly, his goal is to move away from Israel and I don't see why anyone needs anything else to understand his position. n nThe fact that Jews may not see this as a problem is because these Jews are themselves removed from the Jewish state. It would be interesting to see a poll of Jews who feel a connection to Israel (say, by visiting the state, having relatives there, or even praying for Jerusalem at synagogue) and compare those Jews' view on Israel to the views of our secular, unaffiliated brethren. n nThe reality is that Jews do not have a monolithic view and we don't even have a single view of Judaism for that matter. Perhaps we should stop thinking of Jews in that light and consider ourselves as mixture of people whose thoughts span the spectrum and a group that cannot be simply lumped into a single category.
Your post is an excellent summary of who or what, the Jews in America are. n nThey range from the secular liberals who worship at the altar of abortion and same sex marriage through orthodox conservatives, and everyone in between. n nFor most of the high visibility loudmouth Jews on the left, however, their Judaism is little more than a bagel and the Sunday NYTIMES. n nIsrael affiliation of Jews ranges from the Israel haters like Tom Friedman, MJ Rosenberg (would still love to know what the initials stand for) and Tikkun 'Rabbi' Lerner to near unconditional Israel lovers. n nThe majority of Americans who like or love Israel do so not because American Jews ask them to, or 'manipulate' them to do so ('bought and paid for' – in Friedman's disgusting formulation), but because they do so genuinely, believing her to be the 'good guy', and out of religious belief. n nWoe to Israel if she had to count on American Jews, in the aggregate. n nWe can't think of Jews as spectrum, yet, for policy purposes, as they still vote overwhelmingly Democrat, which is proof of the low level of concern for Israel among most American Jews, at least relative to the other social sacred cows of the left of which Obama is the poster child leader.
Thank you!
MainesMichael: Well said!
Although your praise of Mr. Tobin's work was well deserved, your observations were terrific!
Because America has been so overwhelmingly welcoming and kind, the majority of American Jews have forgotten their religious and historic roots. Up until the "Enlightenment" (late 18th century) Jews in Europe were not allowed to forget these roots by their Christian countrymen and were not allowed to fully integrate into gentile society. In Muslim lands as well, they were considered second-class citizens (dhimmis), and were made to feel as outsiders.Most American Jewry today feel estranged from the practice Judaism. Through assimilation and intermarriage, secular American Jews are unwittingly writing their own religious epithet. At the same time however, there is a thriving, flourishing, rapidly-growing minority of American Jewry who while integrated more or less into secular American society, are both Orthodox in religious practice and Zionistic in their love and concern for the Land of Israel. As the Iranian threat to annihilate Israel (G-d forbid) mounts, the tiny spark of (Yiddishkeit) Judaism, that smolders in the heart of every Jew will burst forth. And as these Jews return to their Judaic roots, the G-d of Israel will remember His Chosen People and will save them and redeem them.
"It’s not that most Jewish Democrats really believe that Obama is sympathetic to the Jewish state." I don't know if I agree with that, Jonathan. I get the laff-out-loud-funny newsletters from the National "Jewish" Democratic Committee, and THEY at least seem to honestly think that Obama is the best friend Israel's ever had. n nI'm also not convinced that it is "obvious" why Jews continue to vote for Obama. you didn't even mention the white guilt factor. it would have been almost impossible for a good American Jew to vote against the first black president. this time…it might be easier.
It may be that many Jews are ignorant of the depth of hostility Obama has for Israel. If one is lazy in one's observation, a lot of details that tell the true story are not apparent. n nHowever, the laziness is a manifestation of a degree of disinterest. It might also be among a minority a mark of how Israel-hatred in a president is so outside the norm that it is not even considered a possibility worth exploring. But then, that is ignorance – also a sin of the useless. n n
Bill Clinton was in love with "the idea of Israel"?! First, since when is Israel an "idea"? Second, since when was Bill Clinton in love with anything having to do with the security of the Jewish state? If you happen to run into Mr. Miller, please ask him for me.
All of this of course is predicated on the foolish assumption that Mitt actually believes what he is saying AT THE MOMENT! Unfortunately he has changed his views, beliefs and loyalties to virtually every position he has held except two – hunger for power and money – and that's it. At least we knew what George Bush stood for because he was consistent throughout his life as was Reagan. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Romney who is one of the most disingenuous and dishonest candidates we have ever seen and so I just don't trust him to follow through on anything he says except to accumulate more wealth – period.
So, between a politician whose views on Israel are suspect and one whose Cairo speech and Egyptian policy make clear his sympathies lie with the Palestinians to the extent that those who call him a Muslim are not necessarily fools?
What is your reaction to Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his Vice-Presidential running mate?
Nice try. Romeny has been very consistent in his support for Israel over the years. The same cannot be said for Obama. But we CAN trust Obama — to continue to stab Israe in the back, and to work tirelessly to grab more power for himself and the federal government while enriching his supporters, all at the expense of everyone else.
I get it. Vote for Romney/Ryan and everything will be OK for Israel. Why is it that such prominent Israelis such as Ehid Barak, the former Mossad chief and many others think Obama's been very good for Isreal. Romney as President has indicated he would make a madman like John Bolton Secretary of State or Defense. Bolton would give the green light to Israel to bomb Iran which is a much more powerful country than Iraq. There would be a serious counterattack and Israel in peril would unload a couple of A-Bombs. Haven't you fools ever heard of diplomacy? Anyway, most American Jews will still continue to give 60-70% of their votes to Democrats for good reason. The Republicans have been taken over by the barbarians, in case you haven't noticed.
Alan: What do you expect Israeli Government officials to say about Obama PUBLICLY? Have YOU never heard of the art of diplomacy? I can guarantee that what Ehud Barak and others say PRIVATELY about Obama is quite different, and with good reason. Anything that Obama has done for Israel which you call "good" has been done only for his own selfish personal political reasons. Obama detests Israel and especially PM Netanyahu. John Bolton a "madman"? Please back up this outrageous characterization with facts, if you can. Republicans- "barbarians"? You're pretty glib with your typical leftist personal attacks on those that disagree with your positions but your post is quite meager on facts. Your scenario of what an Israeli -Iranian military conflict would involve and its result is based on nothing but thin air. We Jews are supposed to be people of faith. Where is yours?