Democrats turning away from Israel

[question everything]

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

The Orange Grove: Democrats turning away from Israel

Party stands to lose some of the strong support it typically receives from Jews
By MARC BALLON
The Fullerton resident teaches journalism at Cal State Fullerton and writes for the Jewish Journal of greater Los Angeles.

For decades, the party of Roosevelt, Truman and JFK supported Israel with a heartfelt passion born of the belief that the Jewish state was good, just and democratic. However, the times they are a changing. In recent years, strident voices have emerged that condemn Israel as immoral, opportunistic and a drag on U.S. foreign policy:


(snip)

Recent opinion polls highlight the widening chasm. In August, a study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 68 percent of Republicans surveyed said they sympathize more with Israel than with the Palestinians, compared to 45 percent of Democrats. Similarly, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll found that Republicans favored alignment with the Jewish state over neutrality, 64 percent to 29 percent. By contrast, 39 percent of Democrats supported alignment with Israel, while 54 percent favored neutrality.

None of this is to suggest a massive Jewish defection to the Republican Party. The historical, as well as philosophical, ties that bind Jews to the Democrats run deep, which partly explains why an estimated three of four Jews vote Democratic. Furthermore, Democrats in Congress are every bit as pro-Israel as their Republican colleagues across the aisle. In politics, though, perception is reality. And many Jews now perceive that Democratic support for Israel is softening, a particularly troubling development with Israel facing the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas on two fronts and an Iranian regime, with nuclear aspirations, calling for the Jewish state's destruction.

(snip)

Against this backdrop, the Republicans have made some inroads. Nationally, President Bush won about 26 percent of the Jewish vote in 2004, up from 19 percent in 2000. A socially moderate Republican presidential nominee with a strong record on Israel could pull in 40 percent to 45 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008, enough to possibly make a difference in such key swing states as Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Unless the Democratic leadership begins to condemn those within the party's ranks now attacking Israel, "It's going to be harder and harder to be on the left and be pro-Israel," said Joel Kotkin, Irvine Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation. "I think many Jews are going to have to choose between their leftism and their Judaism."

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/abox/article_1314445.php

[NJ Democrats]

1. I agree

I think we noticed this perfectly this summer.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Interesting article.

I think what we are seeing is an 'infestation' in the Democratic party, no different than what the GOP is dealing with as far as their extremists. The only real difference, is the far-left is not as focused as the far right. There is one other minor difference, the far-left spends more time attacking democrats, then the far-right spends attacking the GOP.

Personally, the only real 'danger' I see is Jewish voters not voting. But, I really don't think that will happen in any significant amount, any more than we will see a swing of Jewish voters voting for Republicans.