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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNetanyahu to American Jews: Get Lost by David Corn
By David Corn
| Tue Jan. 27, 2015 6:00 AM EST
Remy Steinegger /Flickr
It was not so shocking that House Speaker John Boehner would seek to undermine President Barack Obama and his attempt to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran by inviting Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to deliver an address to Congress, in which Netanyahu will presumably dump on Obama's efforts. Nor was it so shocking that Netanyahu, who apparently would rather see another war in the Middle East than a deal that allows Iran to maintain a civilian-oriented and internationally monitored nuclear program, agreed to mount this stunt two weeks before the Israeli electionsa close contest in which the hawkish PM is fighting for his political life. Certainly, Netanyahu realized that this audacious move would strain his already-ragged ties with the Obama administration and tick off the president, who will be in office for the next two years and quite able to inconvenience Netanyahu should he hold on to power. (Even Fox News talking heads acknowledged that Boehner's invitation and Netanyahu's acceptance were low blows.) But what was surprising was how willing Netanyahu was to send a harsh message to American Jews: Drop dead.
The clear conclusion is that despite Republican efforts to target Jewish voters and to paint the president as somehow anti-Israel, the Jewish vote is not up for grabs. In fact, there has been a remarkable consistency in the Jewish vote for Congress over the past three elections as measured by GBA surveys, including 66 percent for Democrats in 2010, 69 percent in 2012, and 69 percent in 2014.
And there's this. The poll asked American Jews to cite two issues of importance to them. Only 8 percent mentioned Israel, which put this subject in 10th place, far behind the economy and health care. Another survey conducted earlier in 2014 showed American Jewish voters overwhelmingly supporting Obama and listing the economy and the growing gap between the rich and poor as their top issues. As the New York Times reported, "Concern about Israel or Iran ranked very low, even when respondents were asked for the second most important issue that would determine their vote for president." The paper quoted Robert Jones, head of the Public Religious Research Institute: "We show no slippage in Jewish support for President Obama."
That is not good for Jews in the United States or Israel. Israeli politicians have long counted on Jewish support in the United Statesand support from conservative evangelicals. Yet there have been signs that non-Orthodox American Jews are not all that happy with Netanyahu's policies. A 2013 poll found that only 38 percent of American Jews believed that his government was "making a sincere effort to bring about a peace settlement" with the Palestinians. Close to half believed Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank was a bad idea. (Only 17 percent said it helped Israeli security.) That is, Netanyahu's right-wing approacheven if supported by AIPAC and other American Jewish establishment outfitswas not popular with many American Jews.
And now Netanyahu is partnering up with Boehner to kick Obama in the teeth and sabotage one of the president's top diplomatic priorities. He is essentially telling American Jews to get lost: I have no regard for the president you support and no regard for your own political needs and desires
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/01/netanyahu-boehner-congress-american-jews-get-lost
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)in his upcoming visit than he did in his 2011 address to Congress. Maybe that will throw light on his standing within the U.S.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/05/israeli-prime-minister-gets-20-standing-ovations-in-congress-sends-message-to-white-house/
after the full article, this was added:
*UPDATE: President Obama got 25 standing ovations from Congress during his 2011 State of the Union address. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got 29 today.
libodem
(19,288 posts)I'm sorry for him. Thank you, for the body of the article citing the statistics of how liberal and intellectual our US Jews still are. That is the basis of my admitted bias, for my unconditional positive regard, for how I was brought up to believe.about the, Jews. My parents were very open minded liberals.
I must have even overheard some conversation as a little girl. I still recall naming my tall walking doll Candy Jewish, at age 5. I didn't even know what it meant. Crazy, huh?
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Benjamin Mileikowsky no more represents peoples of jewish faith or background worldwide than Bozo the Clown.
If anyone can claim to have a legitimate mandate from people of jewish faith or background its the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Thank G-D!
MisterP
(23,730 posts)representatives of Judaism/Hebrewhood--that they "speak for" everyone killed from 1096 to 1941
there's even a poli sci term that Israel's national myth is the "negation of the Diaspora," that all the Jews were gathered together again (even if only in spirit): "Next year in Jerusalem" is different if it's a few hundred euros
a handy list of Jewish cities reads "Tel Aviv, NYC, Jerusalem, LA, Haifa, Miami, Beersheva, SF, Paris, Chicago, Philly"--all the rest are "abroad"