74% of Republicans say they sympathize more with Israel than the PA and Gaza Arabs, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. Only 33% of Democrats sympathize more with Israel, 31% more with the Arabs in the conflict, and 35% sympathize with neither, with both, or don’t have an opinion. Only 11% of Republicans sympathize more with the Arabs, and 15% say they sympathize with neither side, with both sides or don’t have an opinion.
The percentage of Democrats who sympathize more with Israel has fallen 10 points since April 2016, when 43% said they sympathized more with Israel.
Regarding the two-state solution, the gap is also widening between the two parties. 60% of Democrats say Israel and an independent Palestinian state can co-exist peacefully. Only 44% of Republicans share this view, and 49% do not.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is popular with Republicans, unpopular with Democrats. About 50% of Republicans and Republican leaners have a favorable view of the Israeli PM, compared with 22% with an unfavorable view, and 28% don’t care either way. Only 21% of Democrats and Democratic leaners like the man, while 45% do not and 34% do not wish to share their view.
The Pew survey finds that the American public has a positive opinion of the United Nations, although there, too, the gap is wide between the two parties. 62% view the UN favorably, 31% unfavorably. 81% of Democrats like the UN, only 44% of Republicans do.
The Republican Jewish Coalition sent out a statement saying, “According to a new study by Pew Research, pro-Israel Americans have abandoned the Democrat Party and have found a home with Republicans.” That presumes that pro-Israel Americans, specifically American Jews, vote strictly based on a candidate’s views on Israel.
It also presumes that by switching the name “Democratic Party” to “Democrat Party” they would get folks to associate the party of Andrew Jackson with rats. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first attempt to pull this off was made in 1890 and the results are still dubious.