Upwards of 70% of the religious right are fully supportive of Israel in the current conflict. With enemies like that, who needs friends?
I don't think that the viewpoint is particularly rational, and I don't know how widely held it is. The other side of the coin is that Jews know that they don't have to vote Republican to receive Republican support for Israel.
That said, I wonder how many American Jews really give a damn about Israel. I've known quite a few Jews who didn't seem to care about Israel, or even about Judaism.
What few Jews realize is that the Religious Right are as misrepresented by the media as the Jews. The real Christian has always been the friend of the Jews. It took the internet to break the bonds of the main stream medias lies about both the Jews and Christianity.
Upwards of 75% of American Jews voted against George Bush and for John Kerry. Even the nominally "pro-Israel" (at least in their press releases) liberal Jews like Dershowitz work tirelessly for anti-Israel candidates like Hillary Clinton.
And by anti-Israel, I mean those pols who might cluck and shake their heads over Man's Inhumanity to Jews...and then will shrug and cavil when Israel really needs our help.
"Are you dropping dead? You poor dear....... I'll attend the Blue Ribbon panel sometime next year."
Delay was the strongest, most passionate pro-Israel rep in the House. Did he get any help from even the conservative Jews? Delay was that unforgiveable thing...one of those embarassing evangelicals. Not our kind, deah.
Look at what is happening to Lieberman--that he is a Jew and pro-Israel is the elephant in the room that no Lamont supporter will discuss. Look at his blogs and notice all the "code language" that is supposed to enrage Jews and fill them with "never again" passions. Not a peep about it. Not a darned peep.
Benign neglect is just another kind of antisemitism, and almost all US Jews are foursquare behind these pols. It's beyond bewildering to me--more of a self-destructive pathology, based on the Joy of Spite. The joy of spiting the Christian...behold that outpouring of spite here on FR when Mel disgraced himself. Resentment Unmasked.
Which brings us to policy, and the future of US support for Israel. Given that the religious right is probably the only reliable and strongest support for Israel (to the fidgets, blushes and cringes of the few urban Jews who do try to support Israel), how long will the ship of state sail to Israel's aid? The religous right cannot fight all of Israel's political battles, particularly when conservative Jews are too shy to be seen sitting at the same table as the evangelicals.
When a pro-Israel pol like Delay finds himself in need of a few warriors to keep himself viable, there is no reciprocity. How long will pols like Delay rise to serve Israel's interests?
I don't think there'll be many more. If Lieberman is brought down, pols are going to notice that there isn't much in the way of political goodies for those who support Israel.