WASHINGTON — The first major poll of Jewish voters since Joe Biden became President and since recent hostilities between Israel and Hamas demonstrates that Jewish Americans continue to overwhelmingly identify as Democrats and support President Joe Biden with an 80% rate of approval. It is the first poll of its kind to demonstrate that Jewish Americans rank voting rights as a key priority.
The poll also demonstrates that three-quarters of Jewish voters support the way Joe Biden is handling relations with Israel, and are more concerned about antisemitism originating on the right than on the left by a three-to-one margin. Jewish voters also continue to prioritize domestic policy issues, starting with climate change, and are highly concerned about Republican voter suppression efforts. On that issue, a majority of Jewish voters support eliminating the Senate filibuster in order to pass federal voting rights legislation.
The poll, conducted online by GBAO Strategies on behalf of the non-partisan Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI), surveyed more than 800 self-identified Jewish American registered voters between June 28 and July 1. The results demonstrate that Jewish Americans trust Biden more than Trump by at least a three-to-one margin on key issues including fighting antisemitism, handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue.
Key findings of the poll released today include:
- 90% of Jewish voters are concerned about antisemitism in the U.S., spanning across lines of age, gender and denomination.
- More Jewish voters are concerned about antisemitism originating from the right (61%) than from the left (22%).
- President Biden enjoys an 80% approval rating from Jewish voters, while former President Trump’s favorability is18%.
- Republican leaders Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthy are viewed favorably by 10% of Jewish voters, while they overwhelmingly favored Democratic Congressional leaders.
- Among Jewish voters, Democrats currently lead Republicans 68%-21% in the 2022 midterm elections.
- More than 80% of Jewish voters are either very or somewhat concerned about attempts by Republican legislatures in Florida and Georgia to restrict access to voting.
- 62% of Jewish voters support eliminating the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation in the U.S. Senate.
- Overall, 62% of Jews identify as emotionally attached to Israel, while 87% believe one can remain supportive of Israel while at the same time criticize its policies.
Full results of the poll can be viewed here:
- Data: https://www.jewishelectorateinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/JEI-National-Jewish-Survey-Topline-Results-July-2021.pdf
- Analysis: https://www.jewishelectorateinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/JEI-Survey-July-2021.pdf
“While our country is experiencing increased polarization, the results of this poll send a clear message that the Jewish community is nearly unified in its political views and priorities on a wide range of issues, including Israel,” said Ralph Grunewald, chair of JEI. “Whether it be concern about protecting democracy and voting rights, or our shared commitment to fighting antisemitism and supporting Israel, this poll demonstrates near unity among Jewish voters.”
The poll confirms that an overwhelming majority of American Jewish voters – close to 90% – believe that one can be pro-Israel while also being critical of some of the policies of the Israeli government. The poll also shows that the overwhelming majority of Jewish voters feel emotionally attached to Israel, that 74% of Jewish voters approve of President Biden’s handling of relations with Israel, and 62% support his decision to resume humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Meanwhile, they are more likely to rank domestic policy issues such as climate change, voting rights, and the economy as top issues of concern.
To speak with pollster Jim Gerstein of GBAO Strategies or a representative of the Jewish Electorate Institute please contact [email protected].
