Israel Matzav

It's not American Jews who support Israel, it's just Americans

Yoram Ettinger reports on the results of a recent Gallup poll, which show Israel to be highly popular in the United States.

According to a February 18, 2014 Gallup poll, Israel is the most valuable player in the Middle East -- 72 percent have a "very/mostly favorable" view of it -- leading all other Middle East countries by a wide margin: Egypt (45%), Saudi Arabia (35%), etc.

Israel's popularity is at its highest since 1991, when Gallup first polled Americans on foreign countries, compared to 2009 (63%), 2010 (67%), 2011 (68%), 2012 (71%) and 2013 (66%).

Israel is more popular than most Western democracies, while the Palestinian Authority is ranked among the least favorable (19% favorability), along with North Korea (11%), Iran (12%), Syria (13%) and Iraq (16%). Thus, when U.S. President Barack Obama delivered the 2014 State of the Union address, he was greeted with indifference when stating: "American diplomacy [aims] to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians." However, the president triggered resounding applause when continuing: "... and lasting peace and security for the state of Israel -- a Jewish state that has known that America will always be at their side."

The Gallup findings reveal that the more experienced and mature Americans are, the higher Israel's favorability: 81% among those 55 or older (who tend to be more knowledgeable about international relations, in general, and Israel in particular), 72% among those in the 35-54 age group and 64% among those between the ages of 18 and 34.

The Gallup data highlights the fact that Americans in general, rather than U.S. Jewry, are the main source of intense identification with the Jewish State. That is also the case on Capitol Hill, where the key U.S.-Israel initiatives have been conceived and led by Christian legislators (most notably, the late Senator Daniel Inouye). In fact, the vast majority of Americans have embraced the idea of a Jewish state since the 17th century pilgrims -- long before the integration of the Jewish community into American society, and many years before the founding of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Indeed. An Epic Fail for President Hussein Obama and Secretary of State John FN Kerry.

Labels: US-Israel relationship

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:24 AM