World Israel News: New poll shows Jewish voters hold Trump responsible for synagogue shootings
By Joseph Wolkin
A new poll released by the Jewish Electorate Institute on Wednesday morning revealed that 71 percent of Jewish voters in America are disappointed in President Donald Trump’s response to growing anti-Semitism.
The institute surveyed 1,000 Jewish voters “to understand what drives their engagement in politics in advance of the 2020 elections.” As per the results of the poll, 73 percent of those surveyed said they “believe Jewish Americans are less secure than they were two years ago.”
Fifty-nine percent of Jewish voters blame President Trump for at least some responsibility for the two recent shootings at American synagogues in Poway and Pittsburgh.
One of the largest takeaways from the JEI poll is how Jewish voters will take to the polls during the primary and caucus season, as well as the eventual 2020 election. About 70 percent of the participants disapprove of President Trump’s performance thus far, and the same percentage view him unfavorably.
Overall, 67 percent of Jewish voters “would vote for a generic Democrat over President Trump, and 65 percent would vote for Democratic candidate Joe Biden over President Trump.”
The top priority for Jewish voters in the 2020 election is healthcare. Results are similar to JEI’s 2018 poll, which states that Jews will “prioritize protecting Medicare and Social Security, as well as health care, above other policy issues when determining which candidate to support.”
Israel the lowest of priorities
However, Israel is the lowest of 16 priorities for Jewish voters during the election season. While American Jews are still mostly pro-Israel, they also see the Democratic Party as largely in favor of the Jewish state.
Thirty-eight percent of Jewish voters believe that Trump is encouraging ultra-right-wing extremists, which in turn will provoke anti-Semitic attacks.
Roughly 23 percent of Jews will vote for President Trump during the 2020 election.
