Barely a fifth of Jewish Israelis think Obama was friendly to Israel, poll shows

[geek tragedy]

Obama viewed as more anti-Israel than Putin, an ally of Assad and Iran.


http://www.timesofisrael.com/barely-a-fifth-of-jewish-israelis-think-obama-was-friendly-to-israel-poll-shows/

The monthly Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University Peace Index found that 69 percent of Jewish Israelis believe the attitude toward Israel of the incoming president will be “very friendly” or “moderately friendly,” with that number rising to 74% among the Arab public.

Fifty-seven percent of Jewish Israelis said Obama has been “moderately unfriendly” or “not friendly at all,” with only 11% or Arab Israelis sharing that belief. Conversely, 22% of the Jewish public said the outgoing president had been friendly while 64% or Arab Israelis said the same.

...

Asked, “In the wake of the Security Council’s resolution, in your opinion, should or should not Israel cease construction in the territories?” some 62% of the Jewish public replied that building should continue and 71% of Jewish respondents said that under the Trump administration Israel will be able to keep building in the settlements. In the Arab public that rate was even higher, at 81%.

The latest poll of 600 respondents — 500 Jewish and 100 Arab — also looked into the public’s position on the attitude toward Israel of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The prevailing opinion (41%) is that his attitude to Israel is neutral, with 26% of respondents saying his attitude toward Israel is unfriendly and 19% describing it as friendly. Among the Arab Israeli respondents, however, 55% said they regard Putin as a friend of Israel.

The settlements and Israel are one and the same now. Israelis have made it pretty clear--if you oppose the settlements and expanding them, you're no friend of Israel.

The Obama approach to Israel has proven to be a political as well as a policy failure. If one wants credit for supporting Israel, one has to sound like Trump from now on. If one isn't willing to be like Trump, then they're going to be considered anti-Israel.

Vladimir Putin is more popular inside Israel than is Barack Obama. Think about that, American liberals.

[SHRED]

1. They'll enjoy our $38 billion over the next ten years however

Money they don't have to take from other budgets.

[geek tragedy]

2. the relationship reminds me of this book

https://www.amazon.com/Life-First-Could-Drive-Cheryl/dp/0374528535

Time for the Israelis to move out of mom and dad's basement, imo.

[oberliner]

4. The incoming US government is to the right of the current Israeli one

And seems bent on pushing Israel even further in that direction.

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6. if by "pushing" you mean failing to restrain, yes nt

[oberliner]

7. Pushing as in encouraging

The Israeli parliament has a much more diverse set of voices than the US Congress.

There are, for example, no members of Congress in the US who would support the point of view of Balad, Hadash, Ta'al, or the United Arab List - each of which has multiple seats in the Israeli parliament.

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9. Israel needs no encouragement to commit suicide by settlement.

That's been a 50 year project of their own volition, their own commission, and ultimately their own perdition.

The Israelis' idea of a friend is Donald Trump. Heaven help them, because they're beyond help on this plane.

[oberliner]

5. That money all goes into the US Defense industry

Since Israel is required to spend the majority of it on US weapons and technology.

[SHRED]

8. I know

Corporate welfare hand out.

[oberliner]

3. That's like saying Trump won the popular vote if you take out California

Non-Jewish Israelis make up 25 percentage of the population. The Arab parties came in third in the last Israeli elections and have a significant number of seats in parliament.

Your three paragraphs of commentary disregard this segment of the population of Israeli entirely, as if they do not exist or do not count, when, in fact, they are just as much a part of Israel as their Jewish counterparts.

In the United States, Vladimir Putin is more popular than Barack Obama among Republicans.

The incoming US administration and their right wing allies in Congress are further to the right with respect to Israel and the settlements than the Israelis themselves (when you include them all, regardless of their religion).

[geek tragedy]

10. When's the last time the Arab parties have been relevant to Israel's ruling

coalition?

It's not the United States who's expanding those settlements and establishing other sub rosa colonies.