Israelis believe Bush better for them than Kerry: poll

[cmf]

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Jews overwhelmingly want President George W. Bush (news - web sites) to beat his Democrat challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) in the US presidential election on November 2, according to an opinion poll.

A total of 49 percent of people questioned said they preferred Bush, with just 18 percent wanting Kerry to win.


Seven percent believed the two candidates were equally good for Israel, while two percent said they were equally bad for the Jewish state. The rest offered no opinion.


At the same time, 42 percent of those questioned believed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) should avoid supporting Bush, while 33 percent thought he should openly back the incumbent.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040811/wl_mideast_afp/mideast_israel_us_vote_040811184356

Pardon my language, but who TF cares? Why is this on the front page of Yahoo? Make sure you rate it low.

[ugarte]

1. Well, they are the 51st state...

eom

[Fovea]

2. Why shouldn't they, he gives them

everything they desire...

[JuniorPlankton]

3. All my relatives in Israel want a Republican (*) to win

It reflects their own situation with the right wing (Likud) in power.
It's just amazing that after years and years of talking and acting tough (and having NOTHING good to show for it), they still buy the RW BS. Well, I agree with cmf: "Who the fuck cares???"

[shadu]

4. Telling, isn't it?

[tom_paine]

5. As I've always said, we Jews are NOT immune

from the Siren's Song of Totalitarianism.

Not one bit.

Give us power, and we'll GLADLY be Mussolini to the Kinder and Gentler Hitler.

Human beings are human beings, as equally flawed and benighted as the next. Equally as gullible under the right circumstances. So desrious of freedom that Tyranny is BY FAR the most common human condition throughout history and even today (with Imperial Amerika rejoining the ranks of the Tyrannized).

[Swamp Rat]

33. Yeah, what does Likud remind you of?

I once had this idea that Jews/Israelis were suffering from some sort of abuse complex. After being abused so long, throughout history, they have become like their former tormerntor(s)... not unlike how child abuse creates future abusers. The paradigm of the 'abuse cycle' is probably a human universal.

Yes, human beings are human beings. Ever since we left that farm thousands of years ago and organised towns, cities, states, and empires, humans have been under the yoke of tyranny.

[tom_paine]

35. Well, I'm not going to get into an I/P debate here. I'll just say

there's enough wrongness on both sides of that conflict stretching back probably to Biblical Times (but for our topic we'll consider since the 40s) to bloody the hands of both.

[LiberalVoice]

6. We can't get legitimate fucking polls in this country...

who gives a shit about what people think about * in Israel.

[LiberalEsto]

7. They can have him

We'll be happy to pack him up nicely and ship him there, but they have to agree to KEEP him.

[DaveFL99]

9. Now that works for me.

[cmf]

8. And, you know, I wonder if they know that he thinks

they're all going to hell?

[Jacobin]

10. Good for territorial expansion, if not for peace

Interesting to see the split in the Israeli community on this.

[daleo]

11. It seems surprising there is that much difference

Objectively, both candidates have been very firm in their support of the existence of Israel and the U.S. supportive relationship with Israel. I suppose right wingers in Israel may prefer Bush on general ideological grounds, and not prefer Kerry on the same grounds. They might like the idea that Bush is "tough on the Arabs" as well. Anyway, Israelis seem to see more differentiation among the candidates on middle east issues than I do - who knows, maybe they are onto something.

[DaveFL99]

17. I think there's a lot of difference.

Bush supports the Christian Zionists.

[daleo]

22. Agreed there are highly visible symbolic differences

Bush has a close association with the various fundamentalist religious groups, while Kerry doesn't. I don't know if this really translates into substantive policy differences, though. I wish it did, for example, on Iraq. Specifically, I wish Kerry's official position was much farther from Bush's pro-invasion position than it appears to be.

Nonetheless, the last few years have proved to me that symbolic differences are important, and they can translate into policy differences.

[DaveFL99]

24. Symbolic differences ?

I think they're more than symbolic. I think they're radically different

[daleo]

31. I hope you turn out to be correct.

Two radical differences I would like to see would be:

- get out of Iraq with all possible haste.
- be more even handed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I hope Kerry follows these lines. By the way, I didn't mean to imply that there were no important differences between Kerry and Bush, especially on non-Middle East issues.

[DaveFL99]

32. Check this out

to see if you think Bush's plans are a bit extreme

www.pbs.org/now/thisweek/index_022004.html

I doubt that Kerry's policies will be based on biblical prophecies.

[daleo]

51. I agree, these people are frightening

And it is frightening to think that Bush agrees with all this (or at least he claims to). I have come to believe religion is playing a significant role in the Iraq situation - at first I thought it was all just the oil. So, yes, having a rationalist in power cannot but help matters.

[David Zephyr]

12. Sharon Has Hinted That He Will Be Campaigning In Florida For Bush.

:shrug:

[frylock]

13. that should go over well with the peckerwoods

:eyes:

[drdtroit]

34. War criminals do like to stick together!

[AntiCoup2K4]

58. Isn't there a law against letting war criminals visit this country?

Other than the ones who are citizens like Bush, I mean?

[WI_DEM]

14. they can have him

make him prime minister. Just get him the hell out of this country.

[slojim240]

15. It will be difficult to win against neocon money and deception.

If they think an attack will help Bush, believe me, they will make one happen.

[llmart]

16. I say let them have him.

enough said

[aquart]

18. They're desperately deluded.

Allowing Sharon to go his full bent has benefited no one in Israel, and certainly hasn't made anyone safer there or anywhere else.

Instead, George's idiotic inability to provide even the appearance of a fair broker has damaged America's ability to negotiate for peace there or anywhere.

Do the Israelis at least find it painful to champion the Nazi banker's grandson, the scion of a family that never has and never will do anything that benefits a Jew, no matter how good buddies they pretend to be at any opportune moment?

[aquart]

19. BTW, some Israeli Jews are American citizens. With a vote.

[against all enemies]

20. Bush-Lieberman ----- The Isreali Dream Ticket

[LiberalVoice]

23. Couldn't have said it better myself. eom

[Triana]

21. Birds of a Feather....(n/t)

[BeyondGeography]

25. Whatever the positions of Bush and Kerry

the Israelis obviously know who the extremist is. And that is what they have by and large become.

[Z-E-R-0]

26. Care To Explain?

How have Israelis become extremists? Have you ever met an Israeli or even been to Israel?

And the only reason why they support Bush is because they don't know who Kerry really is. Back when Barak was elected, Israelis loved Clinton.

[BeyondGeography]

30. Those days are gone

Maybe you missed the last four years of unrelenting aggression by Sharon and his military, largely unremarked by a passive Bush Administration. Obviously, the polls show the Israelis have grown comfortable with the situation.

They don't need to know who Kerry is. Clinton and Carter were Democrats who favored diplomacy. They've concluded (rightly) that Kerry will, too. Extremists favor force over diplomacy, hence 49-18 in favor of Bush.

[Darth_Kitten]

39. Nobody said Israelis are extremists........

The rest of the world doesn't seem to have a problem relating to Kerry.

[BigBigBear]

27. Sure they do

As long as he keeps waging pre-emptive war for THEIR security - they, of course, being orders of magnitude the strongest military power in the region, versus Saddam who didn't even have an Air Force.

[Larkspur]

28. Only those Israelis who support the slaughter of Palestinians

and non-violent protesters, like Rachel Corrie, and the apartheid policies of their government against Palestinians would support Bush.

[Hornito]

40. And apparently they are a great majority. And they wonder why..

so many American progressives and liberals have been taking Israel to task for its behavior. Israeli apologists try to blame Sharon and the government, declaring "the people" innocent. Problem is, in Israel, Sharon IS the government, elected by the people, and therefore, the people ARE to blame.

It seems to me, the people of Israel are very selfish. Do they actually think Bush is good for the world? Good for the U.S.? Oh, I see, it doesn't matter, as long as they've got a puppet president who will rubber stamp their imperialism and apartheid. Selfish bastards.

We need to do all we can to remove Israel's influence from our government. They hold far to much sway and influence (and let's not forget Abrams, Perle, Wolfowitz, and the rest of the neocons).

As a liberal Jew, I completely resent what is happening in Israel now, and as an American, I deeply resent their intrusion into our politics. They no longer have my support. There are enough rouge nations on this earth.

[The Sushi Bandit]

29. Do they know that he believes on judgment day all the Jews..

will have to convert to Christianity or go to hell???

Fundamentalist bastard

[progressivebydesign]

56. And.. that he and his fundamentalist pals are only USING them?

The whole right wing Christian scheme is that they need the Jews back in the Holy Land so that Jesus will come back for Rapture... according to their wishful thinking, I mean biblical references, the Palestinians need to be out of Israel for Jesus to come back.. Oh, and let's NOT put it past Bush to believe that Saddam had to leave Babylon for all this to happen.

It amazes me that people in Israel would support Bush.. but I guess I have no way of comprehending the bigotry there toward the Palestinians... I guess they love Bush because he is Sharon's poodle. God, who ISN'T George Bush the poodle for?

[Democat]

36. Ignorance

There is plenty of that to go around no matter what country you poll.

[Kira]

37. Who cares about the world's security

as long as Israel feels secure. Who cares if he is going to ruin the environment and cause WWIII as long as they get their dirty work done for them. Oh, I hope they are happy with them all being killed at the end of his little plan.

[Darth_Kitten]

38. They presume too much.....

I agree, who TF should have to care..... :eyes: They seem not to be able to see beyond their own selfish, narrow interests if they think Bush is better for the world than Kerry.

Disgusting, and pathetic..... :eyes:

[CBHagman]

41. Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results

That's the basis of dysfunctional behavior. When are they going to catch on to the fact that Bush's entire Middle East policy is "I made a speech on June 22, 2002" (or whenever the hell it was) and constant references to "two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security"? At least that's all we ever get from the briefers (i.e., McClellan at White House, Ereli and Boucher at State Department).

But Bush doesn't actually take any steps. The Middle East peace process, like dealing with the North Korean nuclear problem, is very much on the back burner. And yet there is no hope for the entire region unless some real efforts are made.

The Israelis will eventually sour on all this, mark my words. Trusting Bush is a ghastly, ghastly mistake. He is as treacherous and lazy as he is ignorant.

[Barrett808]

42. Strange, considering the close relationship of Houses Bush and Saud n/t

[ElsewheresDaughter]

43. "better for them" CHENEY ME TWICE! sorry Israel . Kerry is bettter for US!

[goforit]

44. oh well...........is this a given or what?

[IndianaGreen]

45. Those that oppose a diplomatic solution and love settlements will...

Those that oppose a diplomatic solution and love settlements will love Bush for he has given Sharon and his Likud a free reign.

Kerry will at least try to bring back diplomatic efforts to the front burner, as Clinton did when he was President.

If you want a return to diplomacy and hate Sharon, vote for Kerry!

:-)

[Citizen Daryl]

46. Personally, I'd like "Anybody But Sharon" n/t

[Algorem]

47. lemmings.

[iceman_419]

48. Whaa..??

Sharon is just as bad as Allawi. Before he became P.M. he was known as being a very violent man and had killed quite a few people. He is very ruthless and I don't think he is good for Isreal. I also think Arafat is a bad guy too, but Isreal's gov. has lost a lot of sympathy ovler the years. It is really hard to sympthize with either gov., but I feel very sorry for the people. More for Palestinians because they have no land and are getting screwed over by both sides.

[BonjourUSA]

49. This 51st state will be treated always better than any one.

No American will never receive so many subsidies than an Israeli. Kerry will not be able to change this fact because that would lead to stripe Israel of the world map

[Zomby Woof]

50. Another reason for Israel to shove it.

Fuck 'em. Cut off their aid and let them fend for themselves.

[Gyre]

54. Totally with you!

Gyre

[Josh]

59. They're not entitled to their opinions?

I'm sure as hell glad you don't run the country. If you were president, would you cut off federal money to Georgia 'cause they don't vote for you?

[arwalden]

52. Should I Care What They Think? -- Seriously... Should I Care?

Will this have any effect on the outcome of our election?

-- Allen

[Gyre]

53. Never before in their history

has an American president shown the remarkable lack of backbone bush has when confronted with an Israeli prime minister. Watching bush bend over backwards to cover Sharon's ass has been the most embarrasing thing I've ever seen a president do except for bush the 1st barfing on his Japanese hosts. At least that was quick!

For having a shitload of dough those bushes really have very little class.

Gyre

[CookieD]

55. Most American Jews support Kerry

But most Israelis apparently support Bush. Why is that? For starters most Israelis don't know Kerry nearly as well as Bush. They're not following our election as closely as we are. More importantly, most Israelis are legitimately afraid of terrorism. Too many Israeli parents have had their children blown up on school busses and in shopping malls. Fear does strange things to people; many Israelis see Bush (and Sharon) as more capable in the fight against terrorism.

You can knock the Israelis all you want, but was it so long ago in America that * had a 85% approval rating and many of us were filling our bathtubs with water and buying boxes and boxes of duct tape?

If America suffered the kind of terrorism that Israel routinely experiences, I suspect Bush would be leading Kerry by 40 points. That would be a shame, because I personally believe Bush's policies create far more terrorists than the intelligent, dipolomatic approach I envision from a Kerry presidency.

But what the heck do I know? When I send my kids off to school I am pretty sure they'll come back to me safe at the end of the day. I can only imagine what Israeli parents must feel.

[Lindacooks]

57. They're the only country in the world that does

eom