Two incredible polls were released recently. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) commissioned the Barna Group to survey evangelical Christians about their views on Israel/Palestine. This undertaking might seem academic to some, as evangelicals have long been associated with enthusiastic and consistent support Israel. There’s been a vast amount of literature and commentary on Christian Zionism, and you can find a whole lot of it in the Mondoweiss archives. While we’ve seen notable opinion shifts on Israel among Democratic voters or young Jews, there can’t possibly be any cracks developing among evangelicals, right?
There is actually. In fact, the poll suggests support is about to drop considerably in the coming years. Only 33.6% of young evangelicals (between the ages of 18 and 29) said they support Israel. 24.3% said they support Palestine. 42.2% said they support neither side in the conflict. Compare this survey to a similar one that was carried out by UNCP professors just a few years ago, in 2018. A staggering 69% of young evangelicals said they supported Israel back then and just 5.6% said they supported the Palestinians. 25.7% didn’t take a side.
“It’s become evident that Israel is developing a public relations problem with younger Americans,” one of the professors told the Times of Israel. “We see it with evangelicals as with American Jews and other groups.”
Now check out this Harvard-Harris poll of registered voters that was taken last month.”Who is more responsible for the violence in the Mideast – Israel or Hamas?,” people were asked. Here are the results:
All: Hamas: 60% Israel: 40%
18-34: Israel: 60% Hamas: 40%
35-49: Israel: 51% Hamas: 49%
50-64: Hamas: 72% Israel: 28%
65+: Hamas: 76% Israel: 24%
Okay, so 2 out of 5 people say Israel is responsible. Not too shabby, but hold on a second. As Kyle Kulinski pointed out on his show, these numbers would no doubt be higher if respondents had simply been asked whether Palestine or Israel was responsible for the violence. Why was there a political distinction made for Hamas, but not one for Israel? Think about the question flipped around: “Who is more responsible for the violence in the Mideast – Palestine or Likud?” What kind of answers would you have gotten then?
The fact that support for Israel still seems to be falling despite such a leading question is a pretty amazing development.
This has been some of the most heartening news to come out of America in the light of the most recent zionist attack on Al Quds and Gaza.
I suspect this has a lot to do with younger evangelicals following less of the older establishment figures like Falwell, who were so easily bought off, for a few pieces of silver, prostitutes… a Learjet. I hope the enemy finds whatever new evangelical influencers these people are following a little harder to buy off.
Don’t tell me they figured the difference between religion and fascist ethnonationalism?
It is not the public opinion or public support that matters. Benjamins. Nothing but Benjamins. Be it Evangelicals or Jewish or Catholics, or even 99 % of Americans who support Palestinians, nothing will matter. The other one percent do have the money. They will carry the support for Israel. 99% is of no significance
Video from Canada “Fight Antisemitism, Free Palestine” – You Tube
Fight Antisemitism, Free Palestine – YouTube
Short Video by Canada’s Independent Jewish Voices, June 2/21
“Recently, Independent Jewish Voices helped to launch a vision for a world free of antisemitism. We believe that freedom and safety for any of us depends on freedom and safety for all of us. We reject the conflation between incidents of antisemitism and the movement to free Palestine.”