HAS OBAMA ANTAGONIZED, ALIENATED THE JEWISH VOTE ?

You do realize that the Jewish vote isn't a single block of one issue voters right?

Why ask us, why not ask some Jewish Americans.
Here's one group... www.jstreet.org

There are American Jews who vote on the basis of their support for Israel, and there are those who do not.

Since they are Americans, I would prefer that they vote on the basis of what is right for America versus what is right for Israel.

Having said this, I am of the opinion that, in general, what is right for Israel is right for America, and I thinks this is pretty clear.

However, if an American Jew truly believes that America should not support Israel, because of American interests, I totally respect them.

On the other hand, if an American Jew feels he or she needs to establish liberal bonafides by criticizing Israel...I have my doubts.

I'm not a Jew, but it seems to me that the default position for all Jews should be support of Israel. Not blind support, but the sort of support that gives Israel the benefit of the doubt.

We may need to debate what a "Jew" is, but it seems to me that if one self identifies as a "Jew," one should feel compelled to give Israel the benefit of the doubt.

If one considers oneself a "Jew," but is inclined to assume Israel is at fault and that Palestinians deserve the benefit of the doubt (i.e. The Hamas pledge to destroy Israel is merely a political chip) than I would suggest one needs to primarily self identify as a leftist rather than a Jew.

Self identify as you want, but don't expect me to give you credence because you claim to be a Jew.

(This reply is not directed at anyone in particular, so please spare me straw man arguments)

It's ironic that American Leftists feels that Black Americans are justified in considering themselves black over American, but that their opinion changes in the case of American Jews.

The really significant question ( and I probably should start a thread on it) is why American Liberals have such a hard on for Israel, when, irrespective of their faults, they are clearly a superior nation to any considered "Muslim?"

On the issue of Israel ?

I think that there r some in this forum.





David

David asks:
Yes, on the issue of Israel. You really don't pay much attention to something if it doesn''t involve guns or spelling, do you, David?

David asks:Yes, I have not paid much attention to the wars between the Moslems and Jews,
but obama 's remarks struck me as a bit drastic.

I can't help but wonder if Jewish voters will resent that.
I don 't think that Netanyahu liked it much.

Can a Democrat candidate survive without Jewish support ?

Speaking for every Jew in America, the answer is, what are ya lookin' at me for? Try the veal.

Seriously, most of us are not one-note Johnnies.

The people who are most fanatic about this issue are the Fundamentalist Christians. Obama doesn't have to worry about this because he has zero percent chance at these votes anyway.

On that point an elderly Jewish member of the O. M. Special Interest Group
(my fine dining group) put it this way:
"thay are on every side of every issue."





David

Our mindless support of anything the Jewish state does to the people in that region got us 9/11. Explain to me how that was good for America.

So, what's your stand on Obama's policies concerning Israel/Palestine?

...and after 10 years that simple fact still has not sunk in.

The Israeli lobby's biggest audience in America is not the Jewish vote but the evangelical Christian vote who believe that God promised the Jews Greater Israel.

Are you sure about that?

With or without our support of Israel, al-Qaeda would have delivered the 9/11 attacks.

I see.
I had not considered that possibility.
I was under the impression that Israel is called "the Jewish State"
and that American Jewish voters woud unite in support
of the survival thereof (bearing in mind that Netanyahu
deems the 1967 borders to be "indefensible")
and that this 'd be manifested in their votes in November, 2012.

However, upon the basis of the responses within this thread:
I stand corrected.





David

Is it mindless support of anything "the Jewish state does" or our vehement stand against their annihilation? Israel is dickering over invisible boundaries. Their antagonists want them wiped off the planet. As long as that is true, I support Israel over their enemies.

btw, "the Jewish state" smacks of racism.

Upon the basis of WHAT rationale ?

World conquest for their religion ?