T. Belman. Very disturbing. Anyone who cares about Israel and really knows this woman, would reject her out of hand. She is a known antisemite and always has been. In addition she had no compunction to scream at us in support of Obama’s dictates.
Democratic front-runner leads Republican contender Trump by 15 points, even drawing 25% of right-wing voters
TOI
Israelis favor Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton to succeed US President Barack Obama, but narrowly say Israel’s interests would be better served if controversial Republican candidate Donald Trump was to be voted in as the next commander-in-chief, according to a new poll.
The survey, commissioned by the Walla news site and carried out Thursday, found 38 percent of Israelis supporting a Clinton victory in the November 2016 race for president, followed in second place by Trump with 23%.
Runner-up candidates Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio trailed far behind with 7%, 5% and 4%, respectively. Republican contender John Kasich was not among the names polled.
Nearly one-quarter of respondents, or 23%, said they did not know who they preferred.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Jupiter, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Jupiter, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Pollsters asked 601 people, among them 499 Jews and 102 Arabs.
The study was led by Prof. Camil Fuchs and was conducted as part of the Midgam project led by Dr. Ariel Ayalon.
Arab Israelis lean more heavily toward Clinton than Jewish ones, the poll found. Among Arabs, Clinton leads Trump by 44% to 7%. The lead shrinks, but does not disappear, among Jews, with 37% for Clinton and 26% for Trump.
More than half of respondents, 51%, who said they voted for centrist or left-wing parties preferred Clinton, though her support was still a significant 25% among Israelis who said they voted for the right — despite years of acrimonious relations between Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Democrat Barack Obama.
Not surprisingly, Trump’s support was higher among right-wing Israelis, where he enjoyed 33% support than among left-wing or centrist ones, where support lagged behind at 18%.
These results seemed to contradict another finding of the Thursday poll: Trump and Clinton were all but tied on the question of whether their presidency would be good for Israel.
Asked which of the candidates best aligned with Israel’s interests, Trump won 25% of respondents to Clinton’s 24%. Among Jews, Trump led 28% to 22%; among Arabs, Clinton led 33% to 13%.
Asked to explain the gap of at least 14% of respondents who said they supported Clinton but did not believe she was best for Israel, a gap that grew to 15 points among Jewish respondents, Fuchs told Walla the Clinton brand was strong in Israel due to the continued popularity of Clinton’s husband, former president Bill Clinton.
Then, too, Trump is a relative unknown to Israelis, and seen by many as an unknown variable when it comes to his foreign policies and ties to Israel. Support for the Republican candidate might be higher, Fuchs speculated, if the GOP front-runner was a more mainstream candidate.
If I do not know whether you are a competent surgeon, I will not let you operate on me based on the hope that you must be a competent surgeon or you wouldn’t be wearing that surgical mask. I need to have a good reason to believe that a presidential candidate is pro-Israel. Wishing is not sufficient.
And no one said Trump is an anti-Semite. When it comes to Israel, he appears to be clueless, which is less than reassuring.
@ honeybee:
I don’t mind rightful inflexibility. But not pompous ideology!
These are extremists and therefore fanatics.
BHO is causing major damages to Europe and the US!
Apparently, fanaticism is protected under the first amendment.
@ babushka:
U can’t at the same time state that only Trump knows what he knows while claiming that U know what he represents since U do admit your ignorance of his true position.
U are contradicting urself. I am offering a logical hypothesis assuming that DT is NOT an antisemite (I believe he is NOT) and he will be a dealer based on logic and not emotions. Antisemitism is purely emotional! In the worst scenario, how can the US benefit from the elimination of Israel and the creation of the 58th fanatical Islamic state. Does not make any sense unless U are an antisemite (controlled by your emotions).
Case in point:
It is excruciatingly obvious that Trump is a fraud, but humans are visceral beings and emotions prevail over reason.
@ watsa46:
As with all competent con men, Trump offers himself as the blank slate onto which his patsies ascribe their hopes and dreams. Given that his history consists of diametrically contradictory statements, there is no basis for extrapolation. Only he knows what he would do.
What we do know is that there exists no factual reason for believing that he is a steadfast supporter of Israel. Unless you agree with Harris that it does not matter, there is a compelling reason to be concerned.
@ ArnoldHarris:
Obama is inflexible.
Israpundit commenters who bemoan Trump’s lack of foreign policy experience might want to read an article published today in Fox News, citing why Trump’s foreign policy makes sense. The key characteristic cited is Trump’s flexibility in dealing with complex overseas situations, in the same way Roosevelt and Truman had to follow the same approach during and after World War 2.
US presidents can and do use their office as bully pulpits, as Theodore Roosevelt well described that situation. But governments of countries such as Russia cannot be ordered around. Pragmatism has its uses.
Arnold Harris, Outspeaker
@ babushka:
I am willing to believe that you and many other misunderstand the statement of Trump. He knows the answer to his “question” but he will demonstrate one more time, what the whole world knows, that in fact it is the Palestinians who have no interest. He then could offer the Palestinians an Hobson’s choice! Then Israel will have to do what is in her best interest. Once for all. The opportunity may never come again.
@ Bear Klein:
http://forward.com/opinion/editorial/335520/when-i-cringe-at-the-views-of-israelis-and-donald-trump/?utm_content=daily_Newsletter_MostPopular_Position-2&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Daily%202016-03-13&utm_term=The%20Forward%20Today%20Monday-Friday
@ Bear Klein:
Is this the face of anti-Trump, anti hate protesters.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/12/trump-protester-removed-by-secret-service-from-dayton-rally-stage-had-ties-to-islamic-state/
If you support Trump, you hate Israel. Just admit it and stop embarrassing yourselves with transparently dishonest denials:
http://www.redstate.com/neil_stevens/2015/12/03/trump-blames-israel-invokes-nazi-style-jewish-stereotypes/
Bear Klein Said:
Clinton and Bernie both solicited. Sharpton advice and support. I believe he also entertains anti Israel and Jewish opinions.