The American Jewish Committee released its annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion. Following are some of the significant findings: 70 percent of those questioned disapprove of the war in Iraq; 28 percent approve; 2 percent were not sure.
60 percent of respondents disapprove of the way the U.S. government is handling the campaign against terrorism; 36 percent approve; 4 percent are not sure.
49 percent would support American military action against Iran’s nuclear program; 46 percent oppose such a strike; 6 percent were not sure.
79 percent of respondents agreed that caring about Israel was a very important part of their Jewish identity; 19 percent disagreed; 1 percent were unsure.
59 percent of those questioned had never been to Israel; 20 percent had visited the Jewish state once; 20 percent had been there more than once.
21 percent of respondents said they were more optimistic about chances for a lasting peace between Israel and the Arabs than they were a year ago; 19 percent were now less optimistic; 59 percent felt the same as they did a year ago; 1 percent were not sure.
78 percent believed that the Arabs’ goal was not securing the return of territories lost in war but rather the destruction of Israel; 18 percent did not believe this to be the case; 5 percent were not sure.
67 percent supported the Israeli government’s current handling of relations with the Palestinian Authority; 26 percent said they opposed it; 7 percent were not sure.
56 percent favored the establishment of a Palestinian state; 38 percent opposed it; 6 percent were not sure.
36 percent said Israel should be willing to share Jerusalem in the context of a permanent peace deal with the Palestinians; 60 percent said Israel should not make such a compromise; 5 percent were not sure.
15 percent said Israel should be willing to dismantle all Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of a permanent deal with the Palestinians; 46 percent say some settlements should be dismantled; 36 percent say no settlements should be dismantled; 3 percent were not sure.
16 percent said they were Republicans; 54 percent said they were Democrats; 29 percent said they were independents; 1 percent were not sure.
50 percent said a U.S. Supreme Court nominee’s support for overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion should disqualify that candidate from serving on the court; 49 percent said such a position should not disqualify the nominee; 2 percent were not sure.
32 percent said the government should provide taxpayer funds for social service programs run by religious institutions such as churches or synagogues; 66 percent said it should not; 3 percent were not sure.
10 percent said they were Orthodox; 32 percent Conservative; 2 percent Reconstructionist; 29 percent Reform; 26 percent just Jewish; 1 percent were not sure.
27 percent of respondents said anti-Semitism in the United States is a very serious problem; 65 percent said it was somewhat of a problem; 8 percent said it was not a problem.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
