President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the passing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Tuesday, August 10, 2021, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)
President Joe Biden would win the vast majority of the vote among American Jews in a head to head rematch against Donald Trump, should the US Presidential elections be held today. This is according to a new poll released by the Jewish Electorate Institute.
The non-partisan Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) released its first national survey of Jewish voters in 2023, conducted by GBAO Strategies between June 4 and June 11. It included interviews with 800 self-identified Jewish voters.
And, not surprisingly, 80% of American Jews have a negative opinion of Donald Trump.
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at [email protected].
Thank you.
Some might think that former President Trump would be more popular among Jews because, as president, he showed strong support for Israel. President Trump even moved the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol.
But American Jews are not sectorial in their politics. While an individual candidate’s support for Israel may be important to them, they tend to consider the overall picture. And American Jews are an overwhelmingly liberal community.
As President, Joe Biden has done nothing to make anyone believe that he does not support Israel. He simply does not like its leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Nor does he approve of the current Israeli government’s policies of settlement expansion and a judicial reform plan that would end the ability of Israel’s Supreme Court to overturn new laws.
But, most American Jews feel the same way. They also dislike Netanyahu and think that Israel should give the Palestinians the whole of the West Bank as an independent state.
The one American Jewish group where this is reversed is the Orthodox community. There the results were flipped with 79% expressing support for Donald Trump and only 13% for President Joe Biden.
And Donald Trump also had a slightly higher approval rating among Jewish men over women.
On domestic politics, the Jewish Electorate Institute’s poll found that the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which has been a major blow to abortion access, left Jewish voters worried about the implications for women’s health and reproductive freedom.
The poll also found that Jewish voters are generally supportive of gun control measures. This is in line with Jewish values, which emphasize the importance of protecting life. Jewish voters are also concerned about the rise of antisemitism in the United States, and they are looking for candidates who will take a stand against this form of hate.
Overall, the poll shows that Jewish voters are focused on the cultural issues that are dividing the country. These issues are important to Jewish voters because they have a direct impact on the lives of Jewish people and their families.
Here are some additional details from the poll:
88% of Jewish voters believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
80% of Jewish voters are concerned that women no longer have the constitutional right to abortion.
68% of Jewish voters support stricter gun control laws.
62% of Jewish voters believe that antisemitism is a serious problem in the United States.
These findings suggest that Jewish voters are likely to be a key voting bloc in the upcoming midterm elections. Candidates who want to win the support of Jewish voters will need to address these important issues.
The Jewish Electorate Institute is an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to deepening the public’s understanding of Jewish American participation in our democracy.
