American Jews Losing Faith In Obama

American Jews are losing faith with the president and his policy on Israel. All the while the community is growing more supportive of a war against Iran.

No doubt this is due to the Israel lobby trying to raise opposition amongst Jews, who voted in heavy numbers (78%) for Obama and are overwhelmingly liberal, and rising anxiety about Iran. The leadership of American Jewish organizations are right-wing, but most Jews are liberal. But the leadership's efforts seem to be paying off. Come November 2012, low approval ratings amongst Jews could come to deeply haunt Obama and even cost in the election:

...according to a new poll released Tuesday by the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

The survey of 800 self-identified Jewish Americans, the latest in an annual series that stretches back more than a decade, also found a marked decline in confidence over Obama's handling of US-Israel relations compared to eight months ago when the AJC published its last poll.

While 55 percent of respondents voiced approval - and only 39 percent disapproval - of the Obama administration's handling of US-Israeli relations last March, a mere plurality of 49 percent in the latest poll said they approved now, compared to 45 percent who voiced disapproval.

Support for US military action against Iran "to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons ... if diplomacy and sanctions fail" rose from 53 percent to 59 percent since last March, while opposition to such a course fell from 42 percent to 35 percent over the same period.

As recently as its 2008 survey, the AJC found that a 47 percent plurality opposed an attack, while a 42 percent minority supported one.

"I don't think these results are surprising, especially given the drumbeat of Islamophobia in the American media, the constant pounding on the Iran threat by Israeli politicians and their supporters here, and the Obama administration's repeated failure to explain what it thinks it is doing in the Middle East," said Stephen Walt, a Harvard international relations expert and co-author of the controversial 2007 book, "The Israel Lobby".

"They've let their critics define the narrative, while doing nothing to give anyone on either the left or the right any confidence in their leadership," he added. "If I'd been asked, I'd have said my approval of the job he's doing was pretty low, too, though I obviously don't agree with the idea of attacking Iran."

The survey suggested that the hawkish views of the right- wing leadership of major Jewish organisations, including the AJC itself, have been gaining traction with the more-liberal Jewish public over the last eight months.

It is odd though that Obama's popularity amongst American Jews is declining just when the president is starting to play nice to Israel.

Obama was far more critically of Israel and more supportive of the Palestinians in his rhetoric last year and earlier this year, especially after Israel announced settlements in East Jerusalem during a Biden visit.

Obama used to be unequivocal in demanding Israel cease illegal settlement construction. Now he has avoided a fight over an extension to the pointless "settlement freeze" which expired in September, but has never a freeze to begin with since construction continued at a normal pace under a new deceptive guise. And the administration has resorted to private begging of Israel to issue a two-month useless extension exchange for Obama giving Israel a whole host of guarantees: including vetoing any critical resolutions of Israel at the UN (which the U.S. does anyway), getting tougher on Iran and even prejudging final negotiations by agreeing to let Israel maintain an armed presence in the further Palestinian "state" in the Jordan Valley.

And Obama's words on the Palestinians used to be much more supportive. Obama used to refer to the occupation and call for a Palestinian state with some measure of empathy, but now such words have been stripped from the record.

Now it is back to the generic rhetoric of vague American support for "two-states" all the while stressing the paramount support for "Israel's security" and never applying pressure on Israel to end its decades-long occupation of Palestine.

So odd for Jews to be ditching Obama just when he is trying to pander. But there you do.