GOP Should Not Take New Jewish Support for Granted

Earlier this month, reports showed that Jewish voters in Florida were looking more favorably at the Republican Party than they had in years past. Republican front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich attempted to court Jewish voters at events throughout the state, with limited success.

Now, Haaretz reports that Jewish support for the Republican Party has risen substantially since 2008. Indeed, according to a recent Pew Poll, Jewish support for Republicans has risen from 20% to nearly 30%. Meanwhile, Jewish support of The Democratic Party has dropped from 72% to 65%.

While the large majority of Jewish voters still favors The Democrats, this substantial shift in support reflects the dissatisfaction of many Jewish voters with the current administration’s policies toward Israel. According to the 2011 annual survey of American Jewish Opinion, 53% of Jewish voters disapprove of the current administration’s handling of relations between the United States and Israel. Around 40% approve.

Nevertheless, according to The Hill’s Josh Lederman, “Democrats say Jews are still one of their most loyal constituencies.” They say that while polls may suggest that Jewish voters are leaning more toward Republican candidates, in the actual elections, the Democrats will still capture more votes from the Jewish community.
Yet, the Democrats cannot afford to take the concerns of Jewish voters for granted. Therefore, Jewish Democrats have begun trying to make a case for Obama in the Jewish Community. Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke in defense of the president’s handling of Israel. She said the president had “demonstrated in word and deed his strong support and commitment to the US-Israel relationship”.

But The Algemeiner’s Heather Robinson questioned the strength of the president’s support of Israel, saying, “The President’s behavior seems to suggest that there is no reason to assume that he would help Israel if a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities is undertaken.” Indeed, Jewish voters who are pro-Israel are disappointed in what they see as Obama’s weak response to Iran’s threats.

Yet, Obama could win back waning Jewish support, by taking a stronger stance toward Israel’s defense. Furthermore, should Obama’s attempts at negotiating with Iran prove successful; he is likely to win back at least some support from the Jewish community. Alternatively, if attempts at negotiations continue to fail, the president might be able to win back support by providing Israel with military aid and taking a stronger stance in support of Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Republicans may easily lose their new-found support if they take it for granted. In Nevada, Republicans were quick to accommodate Jewish voters by granting those who could not vote on the Sabbath a special caucus. But, according to The Las Vegas Review Journal, several Ron Paul supporters crashed this caucus and used it as a platform to make anti-Semitic remarks. According to The Journal’s Jane Ann Morrison, one Ron Paul supporter referred to a Jewish speaker as “the Goldman-Sachs” representative. Other attendees said that libertarians made derogatory comments about New York lawyers, hinting at Jewish corruption.

Acts like these are likely to erode Jewish support of Republican candidates and, if Republicans hope to appeal to the Jewish community; they must condemn these actions strongly. Failing to do so, could chase away Jewish voters who are new to the Republican Party and help the Democrats regain support.