84%: Israel Committed to Peace

CAMERA/Luntz Poll: Almost 80% of American Jews Believe

Palestinians Must Recognize Israel As Jewish State,

Pal. Incitement Major Obstacle to Peace

A new poll of American Jewish opinion conducted by Luntz Global the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) has found that more than three-quarters of American Jews – 78% – regard it as being “very to 100% necessary” for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. A further 77% believe that Palestinian incitement against Israel – its “culture of hatred” – is a major obstacle to peace. In other results, the poll also showed that 77% of American Jews say Israel should “refuse to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority until Hamas renounces terrorism and officially recognizes Israel’s right to exist.” An overwhelming 85% said that Israel is “right to take threats to its existence seriously,” and that Israel’s concerns are not irrational or overstated. 84% of American Jews also believe that the Israeli government is committed to establishing genuine peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Also, 94% of respondents said that if Israel “no longer existed tomorrow,” they would feel that was a tragedy, with nearly one in four saying they would consider such an event to be the “biggest tragedy of my lifetime” (Jordana Horn, ‘US Jews strongly support Israel, new poll shows,’ Jerusalem Post, May 23, 2011).

These results are consistent with earlier polling. For example, last year’s American Jewish Committee Fall Survey found that an overwhelming majority (76% to 20%) of American Jews believe that “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel.” An even larger, almost wall-to-wall majority of American Jews (95%) support the proposal that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state in a final peace agreement. Fewer than half of American Jews favor (48%) the establishment of a Palestinian state.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “This recent survey demonstrates that American Jews understand the intention of Arab regimes to eliminate Israel. This explains their increasing opposition to further Israeli concessions being made to them.

“If three-quarters of American Jewry believe that the Arabs seek to destroy Israel; that their recognition of Israel’ right to exist as a Jewish state is a prerequisite for a  genuine peace; that Palestinian incitement to hatred and murder against Jews is a major stumbling block impeding the possibility of peace, then clearly those like extreme left-wing J Street and Peter Beinart, who assert that they represent the position of the silent majority of American Jews and that American Jewish support for Israel is fraying, are wrong.”