Republican pollster Frank Luntz is a guru of selling Israel to the American public, and Jewish Philosophy Place has published a Luntz Power Point that looks like a ransom note but is stuffed with polling data that reflects Israel’s crisis in US public opinion post Gaza. Some tidbits from “Communicating the Truth About Israel”.
“Zionist/Zionism a negative,” Luntz concedes. Here’s the data.
What’s your reaction to JUST the following Word / Phrase?
Israel [Favorables] 59 43 74 [59 percent of All respondents, 43 percent of students, 74 percent of “opinion elite”]
Jewish Homeland 49 36 60
Jewish Nation 48 36 58
Zionist/Zionism 21 15 29
Zionism gets the least favorable response. Now Luntz moves on to neutral and unfavorable opinion figures for Zionism:
Neutral: 53 [All respondents] 58 [students] 30 [Opinion elite]
Unfavorable: 26 27 41
So Zionism gets 41 percent unfavorable, 29 percent favorable, among the elite. That’s a problem for the Jewish state.
Luntz says that propagandists for Israel should stop talking about Israel as America’s friend, and just use the ally description. “Some people argue that the US should stop favoring Israel, that it would be better to take a neutral stand,” he frames the challenge. Tell them, “we’re allies.”
Israel is a FRIEND of the U.S. 30 29 26 [Total, students, opinion elite]
Israel is an ALLY of the U.S. 45 37 58
Luntz urges Israel’s supporters not to say that Israel’s critics are “anti-Semitic,” or to argue that anti-Semitism is still a factor in the U.S. in 2014, but to say this instead:
Everyone deserves to call somewhere home. For Jews that were forcibly scattered across the globe again and again for centuries, that home has always been Jerusalem and the land around it. For more than two thousand years and right up to today, the religious, cultural and historic home for Jewish people has been Israel.
Yes and what about the Palestinians who were forcibly scattered?
Luntz also counsels Israel-lovers not to counter the boycott divestment sanctions movement (BDS) head on, but say that the movement divides people and that’s why you shouldn’t support it. The loser argument, he says, is this one. Notice how much power he gives to BDS.
The global BDS movement is understandably appealing to people who are frustrated with Israeli policies and want take tangible steps to end Palestinian suffering. But BDS undermines progressive forces in Israel who are
working for social justice by playing into right wingers in Israel who cultivate an ‘us vs. them, Israel against the world’ mentality.
Cecilie Surasky of JVP picked this document up, at MuzzleWatch and says it reflects Israel’s p.r. crisis:
Lucky for us, it includes a great deal of current, original research on what Americans think about Israel, and what words test well in responding to their doubts. It seems to have been commissioned after Israel’s horrific attacks on Gaza–groups like the Jewish National Fund recognized that the reaction of near universal horror to Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians was, indeed, the mother of all Israeli public relations problems.
Surasky then posts the video below, saying:
We decided to hunt down the document after spotting Frank with a Powerpoint walking around in an odd new propaganda video filled with well-dressed young Jewish fraternity members–looking like they’d just stopped by on their way to internships on Wall Street. In each interview, these young men seem increasingly isolated and devastated by pro-Palestinian activism on their campuses which they conflate with anti-Semitism. One can’t help but feel for these students. I have no doubt that for many of them, the isolation and confusion they feel is real. And I hope they get support. After all, having your world view turned upside down, and your own power and privilege challenged in ways that make you uncomfortable, is part and parcel of what we used to call a good education.
But it says everything that these students are not at a gathering with therapists, or spiritual leaders, or experts in reconciliation and peace or building a healthy Jewish life on campus. No, they are at a conference with literally one of the world’s greatest propagandists for hire.
Notice that the witnesses on the video are all men. Odd. “I do fear for my life,” one says of being pro-Israel on campus. The young men relate assaults, fractured skulls; and the film ends with the question “Never Again?” as though there’s about to be a Holocaust in the U.S. Somehow I doubt that line would float with Luntz’s respondents in his polling, above. Also this line is in the film:
Being against Israel has become the cool thing to do.
These kids have been raised to “experience” anti-Semitism even when there is none to be experienced.
Here we go again.
Whatever new, cushy, non-offensive word the republicans come up with to try to mask the ugliness that is Zionism, it’ll only take about 30 seconds for all the democrats to start repeating it like idiots. The democrats wouldn’t recognize a political advantage if it bit them on their backsides.
I’m getting my stopwatch.
Classical Zionism has already served its main role – to bring about the country of Israel and create a coherent nation out of the many that arrive from so many origins. Once done and solidified the instrument indeed begins to fade and new ones supersede its centrality. The focus in Israel now is consolidating its position in the extended territories that it is spread on now, which has a Zionist dimension, and bringing about a workable and stable modus-vivendi with Arabs in the different territories, where Zionism plays no role. More recently there is also an increased focus on the role of religion in the final shape of the country – where Zionism is just part of the equation. Everything in life is dynamic and so is the establishment and development process of Israel.
Frank Luntz of The Israel Project:
“2009 Global Language Dictionary[edit]
The Israel Project commissioned a study by Frank Luntz who ran polls and focus groups to determine the best language to use to promote Israeli settlements to the American public.[12] The study was marked, “Not for distribution or publication” and was leaked to Newsweek online. It recommends being positive, framing the issue as being about peace not settlements. The document also lists arguments that don’t work, in particular noting that religious, ownership and “scapegoat” arguments failed to sway listeners, that Arab housing is being demolished in East Jerusalem because it fails to meet the building code, the worst claim by this group in the guide is “Israel is so rich and so strong that they fail to see why it is necessary for armored tanks to shoot at unarmed kids” para (3) page 90. This study states that “public opinion is hostile to the settlements – even among supporters of Israel” so instead of dwelling on settlements one should always talk positively and focus on past peace achievement. [12] [13]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Project
” Notice that the witnesses on the video are all men. Odd. “I do fear for my life,” one says of being pro-Israel on campus. The young men relate assaults, fractured skulls; and the film ends with the question “Never Again?” ->>>>>
Time to call the bluff of US zionist.
When they complain that everyone is against them and people dont like them, say you’re right, we dont’ like you and we’re fed up with your Israel crap.
Agree with them that anti semitism is rampant, a holocaust is about to occur and they should run for their lives to Israel.
See how many of them actually leave.