For Jews, Trump might be the most unpopular president ever

[DonViejo]

By Jennifer Rubin February 13 at 3:15 PM

Gallup reports:

Currently, 45% of Americans support establishing an independent Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza Strip while 42% oppose it. This follows years of significantly more Americans supporting than opposing Palestinian statehood.

Americans’ support for an independent Palestinian state is essentially unchanged from last year, but the percentage opposed is up five percentage points to 42% — the highest level seen in Gallup’s trend. . . . As has long been the case, Democrats and Republicans have sharply differing views on establishing a Palestinian state. Currently, 61% of Democrats, 50% of independents and 25% of Republicans are in favor.

What is not clear, however, is whether this is a shift in opposition to the idea of a Palestinian state or merely recognition that it’s not in the cards for the foreseeable future. Partisan loyalty, interestingly, has a lot to do with how respondents see the “peace process.” Gallup explains that while Republicans have generally been less favorably disposed to a Palestinian state, the GOP position changed in 2003 “coinciding with an effort by then-President George W. Bush to broker a peace deal that involved Palestinian statehood.” Perhaps then it is the perception of which way the president of their own party is tilting that affects partisans’ view of the conflict. Gallup speculates, “Republicans may take Trump’s lead [if he pursues the peace process] and once again support statehood, just as they did when Bush advocated it in 2003.”

By the same token, in the post-Obama world, Democratic support for Israel in general may rebound. Without need to defend President Obama’s rhetoric or positions, the Democratic Party may see an uptick in support for the Jewish state. This is already reflected to some extent in views on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We already see that Democrats who were compelled to go along with the Iran deal in the Obama administration are now much more vocal about the need for additional sanctions. (In this regard the parties are converging on a common position. The administration and most GOP members do not favor “ripping up” the Iran deal, but rather enforcing it strictly and applying new sanctions for Iran’s non-nuclear behavior.)

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/02/13/for-jews-trump-might-be-the-most-unpopular-president-ever/?utm_term=.9fae7d8b47f0&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1