Why are American Jews so Democratic if Republicans are so pro-Israel?

[darklordoftech]

I should also point out that people don't like being told that they should vote a certain way for their own good and some people vote based on their values and not their self-interests.

[Indy Texas]

The Republicans weren't consistently "the party of Israel" before 9/11.

The issue wasn't positioned as front and center back then, but if you were very pro-Israel, you wouldn't be dissuaded from voting Republican because you felt they weren't sufficiently pro-Israel.

The closest you ever got to that was George H. W. Bush's first term, and he underwent a dramatic course correction as he geared up for reelection, in no small part to try to placate the increasingly powerful evangelicals in his party.

There were people like Paul Findley and Charles Percy who expressed skepticism about the US-Israel relationship, but they never exercised any real influence on that issue.

[Grassroots]

The democratic party is trending more pro-Israel and the republican party is doing the opposite.

[Suburbia]

Jewish American voters care about abortion and civil rights, etc.

More Jewish Americans need to go Independent, when the AOC wing is clearly pro-Palestinian and the GOP has the "Jews will not replace us" wing of the party.

Joe Lieberman and Michael Bloomberg would be good centrist Independents for a party like that, but that party would probably be too neoconservative....

[Crane]

Because the crimes of the modern Israeli state are not an inherent aspect of being Jewish, and many Jews are skeptical of a party unconditionally defending it.

[The Undefeatable Debbie Stabenow]

https://twitter.com/TimesofIsrael/status/1391589072523599875

[The Simpsons Cinematic Universe]

Most American Jews are Ashkenazi and Ashkenazi Jews in Israel lean left too. The truth is Zionism/being religious/nationalist was never the primary marker of being a Jew, and the sort of right-wing religious nationalism which defines Israel today is pretty alien to most Ashkenazi Jews. Jews prior to the founding of Israel, even many Jews in Israel from the start, had a very large segment who were mostly secular and politically left-wing/socialist. Many were involved in communist movements in Europe. So there's just a long history of being left-wing, which I think sort of makes sense given Jewish history.

[sting in the rafters]

Turns out being on the short end of the stick with the Babylonians, the Seleucids, the Romans, the Arabs, damn near most of medieval Europe, the Catholic Church, the Russians, the Germans, and a few others I'm forgetting has made tolerance a bit of a virtue.

[Boss_Rahm]

https://twitter.com/TimesofIsrael/status/1391589072523599875

Christians United for Israel is an organization with more members than there are Jews in the United States, period.

[Frodo]

https://twitter.com/TimesofIsrael/status/1391589072523599875

If that's how he feels, Dermer should be encouraging American evangelicals to move en masse to Israel permanently.  That should keep at bay the looming demographic crisis of Muslim Palestinians eventually overwhelming the Jewish population of Israel in what is looking increasingly like a de facto one-state solution. 

[The Mikado]

https://twitter.com/TimesofIsrael/status/1391589072523599875

Anyone dumb enough to not realize that the Evangelicals' plan involves the construction of a Third Temple triggering a cataclysmic war that heralds the return of Jesus and all the Jews dying deserves to have them as an ally.

[Suburbia]

Because the crimes of the modern Israeli state are not an inherent aspect of being Jewish, and many Jews are skeptical of a party unconditionally defending it.

But Palestinian American voters trend Democratic, why would Jewish voters want to stay in a party that is heading towards a more pro-Palestinian bent?

There is a reason why the Jewish vote is for the taking for Republican candidates in the Northeast and so on.....

Jewish voters should be more Independent-minded, should be voting more Independent....

[Brittain33]

But Palestinian American voters trend Democratic, why would Jewish voters want to stay in a party that is heading towards a more pro-Palestinian bent?

Because unconditional support for the policies of the current Israeli government isn’t the most important issue for all Jewish voters? Some of us prioritize American domestic policy or other foreign policy issues or don’t completely agree with Netanyahu’s policies. I may have disagreements with Palestinian-Americans about some aspects of Israel, but we agree on health care, the Muslim ban, voting rights, climate change.

There is a reason why the Jewish vote is for the taking for Republican candidates in the Northeast and so on.....

Jewish voters should be more Independent-minded, should be voting more Independent....

Thank you for not accusing us of “staying inside the Democrat ghetto” or whatever people would say equivalent to “the Democratic plantation” for Black voters. Personally I feel confident in my ability to make up my own mind and not vote for corrupt fascists.

[slothdem]

Because the crimes of the modern Israeli state are not an inherent aspect of being Jewish, and many Jews are skeptical of a party unconditionally defending it.

But Palestinian American voters trend Democratic, why would Jewish voters want to stay in a party that is heading towards a more pro-Palestinian bent?

There is a reason why the Jewish vote is for the taking for Republican candidates in the Northeast and so on.....

Jewish voters should be more Independent-minded, should be voting more Independent....

How about you don't tell Jews how they should and shouldn't vote?

[Torie]

It is not as if the Democrats have done anything to materially negatively affect Israel's security, at least so far. So Jews for whom that is a very salient issue, need not be deflected from voting on other issues that they care about. That is my surmise anyway.

[coloradocowboi]

But Palestinian American voters trend Democratic, why would Jewish voters want to stay in a party that is heading towards a more pro-Palestinian bent?

Because unconditional support for the policies of the current Israeli government isn’t the most important issue for all Jewish voters? Some of us prioritize American domestic policy or other foreign policy issues or don’t completely agree with Netanyahu’s policies. I may have disagreements with Palestinian-Americans about some aspects of Israel, but we agree on health care, the Muslim ban, voting rights, climate change.

There is a reason why the Jewish vote is for the taking for Republican candidates in the Northeast and so on.....

Jewish voters should be more Independent-minded, should be voting more Independent....

Thank you for not accusing us of “staying inside the Democrat ghetto” or whatever people would say equivalent to “the Democratic plantation” for Black voters. Personally I feel confident in my ability to make up my own mind and not vote for corrupt fascists.

I think even despite the intensity of the Zionist vs. Anti-Zionist debate, most Jews I know on both sides of the issue (and btw there are plenty on both sides, including Haredim so let's be careful with painting Jews as a whole or groups w/in Judaism with broad brush strokes folks) are aware that the biggest source of anti-Semitism in this country is still the Right.

McCarthy had his own "all about the Benjamins" comment, and unlike Ilhan Omar did not apologize. For years, antisemitic conspiracy theories about George Soros have had a starring role in the GOP worldview. Even evangelicals' justification of Israel comes with the caveat that they truly believe the Jews will convert or burn in hell.

You're very astute to point out the "plantation" comment because it is similar. Black ppl and Jewish ppl are actually *not* taken for granted by the Democrats to the extent that they are with the GOP. The Dems treat both as rational, self-interested voters and try to appeal to those interests. WHich btw is very difficult because both communities are so diverse. The GOP's only argument though is that they are "slaves" if they vote Dem, but make absolutely no policy concessions or even listen to the concerns of people affected be discrimination. Their only answer is "this is not a racist country," which directly contradicts most minorities' experiences (which they routinely ignore). Methinks that might not be an effective message lol

[Terlylane]

[Asenath Waite]

Seems sort of anti-Semitic to assume that American Jews would care more about Israel then any other issue.

[Tartarus Sauce]

Seems sort of anti-Semitic to assume that American Jews would care more about Israel then any other issue.

The dual loyalty trope, except incorporated by Republicans for ineffective pandering purposes rather than for the purpose of treacherous accusations.

They reveal a lot about how they think with their out of touch appeals to a largely secularly liberal group of people. It has certainly not helped win me over to their side.

[Asenath Waite]

Because the crimes of the modern Israeli state are not an inherent aspect of being Jewish, and many Jews are skeptical of a party unconditionally defending it.

But Palestinian American voters trend Democratic, why would Jewish voters want to stay in a party that is heading towards a more pro-Palestinian bent?

There is a reason why the Jewish vote is for the taking for Republican candidates in the Northeast and so on.....

Jewish voters should be more Independent-minded, should be voting more Independent....

As has been said above plenty of Jews prioritize issues other then Israel but even among those who care about Israel there's many who are critical of how the Palestinians have been treated and would even welcome a Democratic Party that took a more even handed approach to the conflict.

[Storr]

If your best argument as to why a certain group overwhelmingly doesn't vote for your "side" is because most of them aren't "real" members of that group, you're simply coming up with excuses.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Due to fact Israeli men have to serve in some fashio n the military, Men in America don't have to serve in Military. Men have to sign up for Army Ranger Reserve due to Palestinian Wars

That's why female Jews from Israel try to have multiple pregnancies just like females in the Great Depression had pregnancies known as Baby Boom, due to males dying in WWII and Vietnam Wars

There's a draft in Israel, not anymore in America, that's why Israel is Likud not Labor

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

Besides anything else, part of the reason is that many (probably most?) Republicans don't in fact actually support Israel in the first place. What they actually support is messianic right wing Christian Zionism (with emphasis on "Christian").

They support Israel because they believe it is necessary as a prophesized step in order for the world to end and be destroyed (and in particular Israel being destroyed with the Battle of Armageddon taking place in Israel).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/14/half-of-evangelicals-support-israel-because-they-believe-it-is-important-for-fulfilling-end-times-prophecy/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-israels-unholy-alliance-with-right-wing-evangelicals

etc etc etc

It shouldn't be too hard to understand why many Jews and many Israelis might be somewhat uncomfortable with that sort of "support."

Of course, that is not really true of all Republicans, just the ones that genuinely believe in end times evangelical Christianity. So, for example, Trump likely doesn't believe in this because he doesn't have any particular religious beliefs or moral code, except insofar as "what is good for me personally is good" is a religious belief system or moral code. He just supports Israel in this way because it is convenient politically as a way to lock down support from members of the Republican base who do believe all this right wing religious lunacy.