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American Jewry Stands with Israel

(Jerusalem Post) William Daroff - An erroneous narrative is taking hold in the mainstream press: support among American Jews for Israel is plummeting, particularly among young people. Yet nothing could be further from the truth, as shown in both polls and my own experience as a Jewish communal leader whose institution represents the full spectrum of interests and opinions among Jews in the U.S. According to a December survey by Schoen Cooperman Research, 81% of American Jews support Israel's campaign in Gaza. The same poll shows that 60% of Gen Z (up to age 27) support the war effort as well. A mere 26% of Gen Z respondents want an immediate ceasefire. Add to that the fact that nearly 300,000 Jews - quite a lot of them young people - flooded the National Mall in Washington last November to voice their solidarity with Israel. Despite this, the antics of several organizations, notably If Not Now (INN) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), garner outsized media attention that incorrectly spotlights these groups as spokespersons for American Jewry. These are fringe outliers who Jew-wash some of the most vicious forms and manifestations of antisemitism. American Jews have a range of opinions on Israel; some can indeed be very critical of particular governments or policies while remaining in the communal fold. But it is important to recognize that the vast majority of Jews agree on Israel's right to defend itself as it prosecutes this just war against the Hamas terrorist army. Many Jews justifiably feel a profound aversion toward co-religionists whose Judaism seems to exist merely to be wielded against other Jews. Even more frustrating is the media's insistence on spotlighting these groups as representative of the Jewish people, when we in fact have never been more united and vocal in our fundamental support of the Jewish state. The writer is CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
2024-02-04 00:00:00
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