The Israel lobby has always feared public awareness. But the Iraq war and Gaza have ended the politics of ignorance; awareness is growing, especially on the left. Robert Dreyfuss at the Nation reports on a Zogby poll that shows surprisingly high #s of Americans not wanting a special relationship, and seeking pressure on Israel. From the sound of these numbers, Obama could begin the slow process of educating Americans about the horrors of the occupation… [emphases mine]
According to the poll, when asked if the United States should "get
tough" with Israel in order to back up its call for an end to
settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, fully 50 percent of
Americans said yes, with just 19 percent saying "do nothing," and 32
percent not sure.
Hiding in those numbers, however, is an overwhelming partisan gap,
and that is the really striking thing about the Zogby poll. From my
notes:
Asked whether the interests of Israel and the US are
identical, only 28 percent of Obama voters agreed, while 59 percent
disagreed. Among McCain voters, it was the reverse: 78 percent of
McCain voters said US and Israel interests were identical and 15
percent said they are not…And on the crucial question, is it time to get tough with Israel,
the gap was a veritable Grand Canyon. Among Obama voters, 71 percent
agreed and 18 percent disagreed. Among McCain voters, 16 percent agreed
and 73 percent disagreed.
…What does it mean? It says that President Obama will have the support
of his base, including Democrats and Independents, if he decides to
force the issue in coming months with the Israeli leader. According to
John Zogby, part of the reason is demographic: black voters, Hispanic
voters, and young (18-30) voters are far less attached to the
US-Israeli special relationship than are older, more traditional
voters, especially among Christian evangelicals.
