The Israel Project: ‘American Hispanics are the most hostile toward Israel’

[Jefferson23]

The founder of the influential pro-Israel advocacy group, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, is leaving, and the hunt is on to find her replacement.

By Chemi Shalev

Americans of Hispanic origin, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, are relatively hostile towards Israel because they are ignorant about Middle East affairs and are influenced by traditional anti-Israeli Catholic views, according to the Israel advocacy group, The Israel Project (TIP).

In a media briefing in New York to mark the resignation of TIP’s founder, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, the group’s Executive Director for the Americas, Allan Elsner, said that Israel is more popular among older Americans, Republicans, conservatives and Evangelicals and less popular among “liberal elites”, African-Americans and Democrats. Elsner said that the Israel Project was focusing its efforts on “groups where we have a problem.”

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/the-israel-project-american-hispanics-are-the-most-hostile-toward-israel-1.412851

The Israel Project (TIP)

The Israel Project (TIP) is a U.S.-headquartered 501(c)3 non-profit group that describes its mission as being "devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. The Israel Project provides journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel. The Israel Project is not related to any government or government agency."[1]

snip* In its self description for Guidestar, a non-profit information service, TIP states that it "identifies and proactively communicates proven effective messages that encourage people to support Israel and policies that will make Israel safer. Using sophisticated public opinion research to identify messages, themes and visuals that will bring support to key policies. TIP has trained thousands of influential policy leaders, opinion elites and spokespeople to help strengthen Israel's image in international media."[3]

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_Israel_Project

[riverwalker]

1. In other words: A lobby.

"In its self description for Guidestar, a non-profit information service, TIP states that it "identifies and proactively communicates proven effective messages that encourage people to support Israel and policies that will make Israel safer. Using sophisticated public opinion research to identify messages, themes and visuals that will bring support to key policies."

"are relatively hostile towards Israel because they are ignorant"
okaaaaaay

[Crunchy Frog]

5. Sounds more like a propaganda outlet to me.

[Shaktimaan]

13. no, not a lobby.

A PR group. What do you find offensive about this?

[Bad_Ronald]

2. Wow! Just Wow!

TIP states that it "identifies and proactively communicates proven effective messages that encourage people to support Israel and policies that will make Israel safer.

Can you imagine the reaction if some Iranian or Chinese group conducted a comprehensive study breaking down how different ethnic groups in America feel about them, and then proceeded to try to "influence" them in the name of Iranian or Chinese security?

[oberliner]

7. Iowa Stop to Show Plus Side of Chinese Trade

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to Iowa this week is designed in large part to make a point to U.S. critics of Beijing's economic policies: China is good for the U.S. farm belt.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204062704577223564281926488.html

[Purveyor]

3. "influenced by traditional anti-Israeli Catholic views"? Keep promoting that message and

I'm certain they will win the 'hearts and minds' of our Hispanic population.

/sarc off

[Jefferson23]

4. Yea, as the groups says, we have a problem...I wonder why. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

6. Aggrigating an ethnic group

into a block "because they are ignorant about Middle East affairs and are influenced by traditional anti-Israeli Catholic views" amounts to bigotry.

[oberliner]

8. Poll: Latinos believe U.S. too supportive of Israel

A new poll by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) finds that nearly half of U.S. Latinos feel that their country is too supportive of Israel. The findings also suggest high levels of anti-Semitism exist in the U.S. Latino community.

Of the 740 people from across the country contacted by phone in early March, half were Latino and half were Jewish. All were asked the same questions.

Forty-six percent of Latino respondents (and 58 percent of Jewish ones) agreed that “anti-Semitism exists in the Latino community.” Smaller numbers of Latinos and Jews (32 and 30 percent, respectively) said “anti-Latino sentiment exists in the Jewish community.”

“We’ve not done our jobs in terms of fostering the alliance between Jews and Latinos,” said Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of FFEU, a New York-based nonprofit. Schneier said the study also showed a failure of American Jews to convey to Latinos the centrality of Israel for Jews and its importance for American foreign policy.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/community/article/poll_latinos_believe_us_too_supportive_of_israel_20110330/

[dipsydoodle]

9. That being the case

conveys that Latinos do have an interest / knowledge of the subject which in a manner of speaking contradicts the OP.

I must say I do find it odd that a minority is against another minority.

[oberliner]

10. Actually a pretty sizable chunk answer "don't know" or chose not to respond

Almost a third were in that category in the survey.

[Crunchy Frog]

11. I wonder what the results would be of a survey

that asked American Jews how they feel about Hispanics.

[oberliner]

12. It's part of the same survey

The survey specifically addresses that exact question. Half of those surveyed were Latino and half were Jewish. Each was asked questions about the other community and related issues.

[Shaktimaan]

14. Bigotry?

Researching and publishing general demographic trends by ethnicity is bigoted?
What????

Bigotry is negative stereotyping and discrimination based on prejudicial views. Just because the word "ethnicity" is involved does not mean bigotry is automatically occurring.