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Kamala Harris to Receive Lowest Share of Jewish Vote for a Democrat Since 1988: Poll
US Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo: Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERS
US Vice President Kamala Harris is leading former US President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race among Jewish voters by a margin of 67 percent to 31 percent, according to a new Manhattan Institute poll.
Such an outcome among Jewish voters would represent the highest vote share for a Republican candidate — and the lowest for a Democratic candidate — since 1988, when Michael Dukakis ran against George H.W. Bush and received 64 percent of the Jewish vote.
While Jews have long been one of the most supportive groups of the Democratic Party, there are also divisions by denomination. Orthodox Jews prefer Trump by a 59-41 margin, while Reform Jews prefer Harris by a 75-22 margin, according to the data.
The poll found that if Trump chose Nikki Haley, rather than US Sen. JD Vance, as his running mate, then Jewish voters would have preferred Harris by a smaller 65-30 margin.
Despite numbers trending toward Trump and Republicans, the poll confirmed that Jewish voters remain a strongly Democratic voting group — which is in line with other recent polls of Jewish voters. In September, the Jewish Democratic Council of America released a poll showing Harris leading Trump by a 72-25 margin.
Harris has received criticism from some within the Jewish community for what they see as her insufficient support of Israel. However, others have pointed out that the Biden-Harris administration has given Israel significant material and diplomatic support since Hamas launched its war against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Other key findings in the poll include the fact that 86 percent of Jews said they consider themselves to be a supporter of Israel, while just 5 percent said they do not consider themselves to be a supporter and 9 percent marked down they were unsure.
Support remains strong across parties and denominations, with 91 percent of Orthodox, 93 percent of Conservative, and 87 percent of Reform Jews considering themselves supporters of Israel. The only group that expressed notably less support for the Jewish state were those who do not consider themselves a part of a denomination — among which 76 percent said they are supporters of Israel.
Similarly, 94 percent of Jewish Republicans and 83 percent of Jewish Democrats responded that they consider themselves to be supporters of Israel.
The proportion of Jewish Democrats who support Israel is of particular note because of rising anti-Israel sentiment within the grassroots of the Democratic Party. Democrats under the age of 35, for example, sympathize more with the Palestinians over Israel by a 74-16 margin, according to recent polling.
There is a key partisan divide when it comes to approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. A majority of Jewish Republicans (54 percent) said they increase antisemitism, while just 11 percent of Jewish Democrats said the same. On the other hand, a majority of Jewish Democrats said it either has no impact on antisemitism or that they are unsure. Twenty-six percent said it decreased antisemitism.
The poll was conducted with 658 Jewish registered voters nationwide between Oct. 6 and Oct. 8, with a margin of error of +/-3.8 percent.
The post Kamala Harris to Receive Lowest Share of Jewish Vote for a Democrat Since 1988: Poll first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Wants More Peace Deals With Arab Countries After War, Netanyahu Says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial ceremony for those murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and those who fell in the “Iron Sword” war, at the Knesset, the Parliament, in Jerusalem, Oct. 28, 2024. Photo: DEBBIE HILL/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he hopes to reach peace deals with more Arab countries once the war against Iranian terrorist proxies Hamas and Hezbollah is complete.
“The day after Hamas no longer controls Gaza and Hezbollah no longer sits on our northern border [in Lebanon], we are working these days on plans to stabilize those two fronts. But the day after includes something else of utmost importance,” Netanyahu said in a speech to parliament.
“I aspire to continue the process I led a few years ago of the signing of the historic Abraham Accords, and achieve peace with more Arab countries,” he said.
Israel, under the US-brokered 2020 accords, normalized relations with four Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
Since then, Israel, with US support, has sought to also include other nations, particularly Saudi Arabia. Riyadh says it will not recognize Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
“These countries, and other countries, see clearly the blows we are landing on those who attack us, the Iranian axis of evil,” he said. “They aspire, like us, for a stable, secure, and prosperous Middle East.”
The post Israel Wants More Peace Deals With Arab Countries After War, Netanyahu Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Over 100 US Lawmakers Threaten UN Funding if Global Body ‘Downgrades’ Israel’s Status
US Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) speaking at a housing roundtable event, March 8, 2023. Photo: Lawler for Congress
A bipartisan group of 105 members of the US Congress threatened to reduce American funding to the United Nations if the organization successfully downgrades Israel’s status in retaliation for the Jewish state’s defensive military operations against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
“We write to express our deep concern about prospective efforts of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to downgrade Israel’s status at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and strip the State of Israel of its key privileges in the body,” read a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres that was co-signed by the lawmakers.
“Any downgrade in Israel’s status or standing at the UNGA will result in a corresponding downgrade of US financial, material, and political support to the UN,” the message continued.
The letter, spearheaded by US Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), was drafted as a response to what the lawmakers described as the Palestinian Authority’s attempt to to strip Israel of “key privileges” within the UNGA.
The lawmakers also said they were “outraged” by the UNGA’s recent adoption of a “one-sided” resolution to implement an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, demanding Israel withdraw completely from the West Bank and East Jerusalem “with no recognition or consideration of Israel’s legitimate security concerns.”
The letter, which was signed by dozens of Republicans and 12 Democrats, added that Congress has been alarmed by the “numerous UN actions to delegitimize Israel’s right to self defense,” arguing that the global organization’s posture toward the Jewish state calls into question its fairness and impartiality.
“We remind you that the US is the largest donor to the UN. Our contributions account for one-third of the body’s collective budget. We will not accept the UN’s ongoing hostility to our ally Israel,” the letter stated.
The members of Congress then reminded the UN of a recently introduced piece of American legislation which would “prohibit US funding to the UN” if the organization downgrades Israel’s status or impacts its ability to “participate fully and equivalently with other member states.”
According to Lawler’s office, a slew of pro-Israel organizations endorsed the letter, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Jewish Federations of North America, and the Combat Antisemitism Movement.
The letter came after the PA reportedly kick-started an initiative to get Israel expelled from the UN General Assembly.
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) warned that Congress would consider revoking funding to the UN if the PA were successful in its attempt to remove Israel from the UN General Assembly.
“If the Palestinians succeed in suspending Israel from the United Nations General Assembly, they may well end up disintegrating the US-Palestinian Authority relationship and triggering a full reevaluation of US participation in and funding of all parts of the United Nations,” Cruz said earlier this month.
The post Over 100 US Lawmakers Threaten UN Funding if Global Body ‘Downgrades’ Israel’s Status first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Montrealers say limits are needed for boisterous Friday evening demonstrations against Israel
There’s a way for everyone within earshot to know when Shabbat has arrived in the west side of downtown Montreal. Chants begin almost every Friday evening as the crowd—varying from […]
The post Montrealers say limits are needed for boisterous Friday evening demonstrations against Israel appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.