Poll says large majority of American Jews will vote for Democratic candidates
A new poll released Wednesday, Oct. 17, by the Jewish Electorate Institute found that an overwhelming majority of Jewish voters plan to vote for Democrats in November. Jewish voters also see the Democratic Party as pro-Israel and prioritize a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues when considering which candidates to support in the midterms.
About 2018 Jewish Voters
- A majority of Jewish voters (68%) identify as Democrats.
- 74% of Jewish voters will vote for Democratic congressional candidates in their districts in the midterm elections.
- 76% of American Jewish voters have an unfavorable view of Trump.
- 70%+ of Jewish voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of anti-Semitism, the Iran nuclear deal, foreign policy, immigration, Supreme Court nominations, gun safety, the environment, and healthcare.
- Looking ahead to 2020 – 74% of Jewish voters said they will vote for a Democratic candidate, while just 26% will vote for Trump.
About 2018 Jewish Voters and Israel
- American Jews overwhelmingly (92%) consider themselves “pro-Israel” and over two-thirds (65%) of Jewish voters believe Democrats are pro-Israel.
- “Whether a candidate supports Israel” (52%) is just one of the many issues Jewish voters will consider when deciding which candidate to support in the midterms.
- Top policy priorities for Jewish voters include domestic issues such as “the kind of Supreme Court justices the candidate would support” (90%), protecting Medicare and Social Security (84%) and making quality affordable healthcare available to all Americans (83%).
- Jewish voters are evenly divided when it comes to Trump’s handling of Israel – 51% approve/49% disapprove.
- Jewish voters are strongly opposed to Trump’s handling of the Iran nuclear deal (70% disapprove), U.S. relations with the Palestinians (62% disapprove), and moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem (56% disapprove).
About Jewish Electorate vs. Overall U.S. Electorate
- American Jewish voters have a 76% unfavorable view of Trump; in comparison, 55% of Americans as a whole, have an unfavorable view of Trump.
- More than two-thirds (68%) of Jewish voters identify as Democrats; in comparison less than half (47%) of Americans as a whole identify as Democrats.
This analysis represents the findings of a national survey of 800 voters designed to reflect the likely 2018 Jewish electorate. Interviews were conducted online through a randomly selected panel October 2-11, 2018. The sample was 53% male and 47% female, and 93% of participants indicated they are “almost certain” to vote .The margin of error is +/- 3.5% at the 95% level of confidence (higher for subgroups). This poll was conducted by The Mellman Group. — From Jewish Electorate Institute
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StandWithUs condems ‘Palestine Without Borders’ session of United We Dream
StandWithUs condemns the “Palestine Without Borders” session at the United We Dream National Conference in Miami, Florida October 5-7, 2018. The conference, which serves as a membership meeting and convening of young leaders, is used as a space “created by and for immigrant youth to build relationships, strengthen our community, and dream of the change we seek for the immigrant community.” At a conference about a crucially important domestic issue, spreading hate related to a conflict abroad is utterly reprehensible.
Led by the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter from Houston, the session entitled “Palestine Without Borders” descended from criticism of Israel into outright anti-Semitism. A worksheet for the session denied the 3,000-year-old history of Jews as an indigenous people in their homeland and slandered countless Jews and others who believe in both Jewish and Palestinian rights to self-determination. It also demonized Israel as a symbol of white supremacy – an ideology partly driven by racism towards Jews. Blaming Jews, who have time and again been victims of racism and genocide, for an ideology that has led to atrocities against them is beyond offensive, as is erasing the fact that most Israelis would be considered people of color in America today.
“American Jews have a long history of supporting immigrants, making it particularly shameful that SJP brought anti-Semitism into this conference,” said Talia Lerner, Southern Campus Coordinator at StandWithUs. “At a time when Americans are so divided, we should be coming together against hate instead of having groups like SJP fan the flames.”
SJP, the self-identified “grassroots” campus faction of the BDS movement, has a long history of anti-Semitism and a support network of off-campus hate groups. At the University of Houston in particular, Jewish students have been subjected to aggressive SJP-led disruptions of events, with protesters shouting “F*** Zionists” and “Zionists off our campus.” — From StandWithUs
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Bend the Arc endorses three gubernatorial candidates
With three weeks until arguably the most important midterm election in a generation, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action PAC — the nation’s only Jewish PAC with a sole and central mission of supporting a progressive domestic agenda — has endorsed three candidates for governor: Stacey Abrams of Georgia, Andrew Gillum of Florida, and Ben Jealous of Maryland.
These endorsements mark a new chapter in Bend the Arc’s electoral strategy, and a recognition of the magnitude of this moment to elect leaders who embody the true diversity of our democracy. This is the first time in its history that Bend the Arc: Jewish Action PAC has endorsed candidates in gubernatorial races.
“Abrams, Gillum, and Jealous are not only solid progressives ready to lead their states in achieving a vision of equity, opportunity and inclusion, but their wins on Election Day will change the face of power of an entire region,” said Ginna Green, Chief Strategy Officer of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action. “This is a monumental moment where the Jewish community — acting on the values of our tradition — can lend our voice to building a democracy that reflects the diversity of America and fulfills the true promise of our nation.”
If elected, Abrams would become the first black woman governor in United States history, and Gillum and Jealous would become the first black governors of Florida and Maryland, remarkable achievements in three states where black people could be bought and sold just one hundred and fifty years ago.
Each candidate was chosen based on their policy stances reflecting Bend the Arc: Jewish Action PAC’s core values. Abrams, Gillum and Jealous have all demonstrated a commitment to protecting equal rights for all, including voting rights; racial equity; LGBTQ rights; and reproductive rights; equal opportunity, including support for fair treatment of workers and fundamental economic justice; and building an America that welcomes, embraces, and protects immigrants and refugees. — From Bend the Arc
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Israeli court agrees to weigh Im Tirzu claims in Lara Alqasem’s expulsion case
During Wednesday’s hearing in Israel’s High Court of Justice regarding BDS activist Lara Alqasem, the court agreed to weigh the claims presented by the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu regarding the potential threat posed by Alqasem’s enrollment in Hebrew University.
According to Im Tirtzu, only the managerial side of Hebrew University supports Alqasem, while the administrative side is concerned that her enrollment will serve as a spark for violence on campus.
The court stated that it will take the claim presented by Im Tirtzu’s legal advisor attorney Ben-Zion Adoram and director of its legal division attorney Yaakov Cohen, into account in its decision. — From Im Tirzu
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October is National Gaucher Awareness Month
JScreen, the national non-profit community-based public health initiative dedicated to education and carrier screening for Jewish and other genetic diseases, has joined with the National Gaucher Foundation (NGF) to mark National Gaucher Awareness Month during October 2018. Gaucher (pronounced go-SHAY) disease is one of more than 200 diseases for which JScreen tests with its easy-to-use at-home saliva sample kit. The condition affects up to 1 in 40,000 live births in the general population. Gaucher is much more common in people with Ashkenazi Jewish background, affecting up to 1 in 450 individuals in this community. Unlike many other genetic diseases, treatment is available when medically necessary.
“We work very closely with the National Gaucher Foundation (NGF) to raise awareness and encourage screening, particularly of young adults who may be thinking of having children soon,” said Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid, Executive Director of JScreen. “This month is a special opportunity to help educate both the Jewish community and the general population about Gaucher disease and the importance of genetic screening for family planning.”
Gaucher disease results from the body not having enough glucocerebrosidase (GCase), an important enzyme that breaks down a fatty substance called glucocerebroside. Because the body cannot break down this substance, fat-laden Gaucher cells build up in areas like the spleen, liver and bone marrow and can cause low blood counts, bleeding, bruising, fatigue, enlarged spleen and liver, and bone problems.
“My husband and I found out we are both carriers of Gaucher disease,” says Paige Guy, 30, an audiologist in Ocean, New Jersey. “We were shocked and scared of what the future would hold for our family; our genetic counselor recommended by our physician explained that there is a 25% chance in each pregnancy that our child would have Gaucher disease. By being aware of this reality, we were able to go through a complex in vitro fertilization (IVF) process that significantly decreases the odds of having a child with Gaucher disease. We’re happy to say that as of June 2018, we welcomed our beautiful little girl whose blood results came back negative for Gaucher’s disease.”
During October, JScreen, in partnership with the NGF, will encourage screening for individuals and couples planning to start or grow their families.
“It’s important to be screened so people know whether or not they are a carrier and how this might impact their children,” says Amy Blum, COO of the National Gaucher Foundation. “The NGF is very grateful for its partnership with JScreen and being able to offer screening for Gaucher and over 200 other genetic diseases. Over 1500 individuals have already been screened through this joint initiative.” –From JScreen
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Conference of Presidents denounces Gaza attacks on Israel
Arthur Stark, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following statement:
We condemn in the strongest terms the rocket fire from Gaza against the civilian populations in the south of Israel. It is absolutely unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of people live under constant threat of terrorist attack using rockets, mortars, and incendiary balloons, as well as cross-border assaults. The Palestinian terrorist groups perpetrating these attacks from Gaza seek to kill indiscriminately and bring normal life and commerce to a standstill. No country can or should have to tolerate such attacks across an internationally recognized border. For too long, the organized campaign of deadly threats and assaults along Israel’s border have continued. These acts are not protests against an “occupation”, as there is no Israeli presence in Gaza, but attempts to divert attention from the corrupt Hamas regime, as they have acknowledged. Israel must do whatever it deems appropriate to safeguard its citizens and borders. The international community must not only denounce such attacks in unambiguous terms, but they also must help prevent the weapons flow and financial support that enables these attacks to continue.
Preceding items culled from news releases. Send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com