Gallup: Jews Are Religious Group Most Supportive of Obama

October 2, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

Gallup reports that Jews are the religious group most supportive of Barack Obama in the United States. Sixty-four percent of American Jews express approval of Obama's job performance, compared with 52 percent of Americans at large. And though Jewish approval for Obama has dropped from 83 percent since January, that's in line with the falloff in support from the general public, suggesting—Gallup says—that Obama's Middle East and Iran policies have not disproportionately affected his image among Jews.

Check out this graph:

An interesting side note from Gallup:

American Jews' solid backing of Obama stands in contrast to Jewish opinion in Israel, where many are still taking stock of the new American president and trying to determine his long-term policy intentions for the Mideast. A recent poll of Jews in Israel, sponsored by the Jerusalem Post, found only 4% believing Obama's policies are "pro-Israel" and 35% calling them evenly balanced, while 51% said they are "pro-Palestinian." By contrast, a previous survey found 88% of Israelis believing George W. Bush's policies were "pro-Israel."

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I believe American Jews recognize that Obama would like to turn Israel away from its own worst impulses; the underlying key being he wants to save Israel and insure its long time survival. The stalemate between Israel and its neighbors cannot exist forever.

Phoenician Lady of AZ 11:40PM October 04, 2009

I have no faith in anything big business says because there need is to fool the people and make money. If you are on the Internet and you probably are if you are reading this, you have the possibility of getting more of the truth. A free Internet which is not paid for by big business would be even better because big business would have less control and the people would have more control, That is why they try to keep prices up so big business can better control the internet. Big business has always had the caveman mentality anyway(if you can’t pay you can’t have) which is like walking around the wounded on the trail and going on your way with out reporting it because you did not want to get involved.

Don D. Brock

Don D. Brock of AZ 11:30AM October 04, 2009

I do not know the sample used. From what I hear immigrant jews are overwehlmingly opposed to Obama.

Ferdinand Kroner of NY 12:22AM October 04, 2009

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Dan Gilgoff covers religion for U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, and is a former politics editor at beliefnet. E-mail Dan at godandcountry@usnews.com.

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