Jewish, pro-Israel and still voting Democrat – here are the numbers that explain America’s Jewish voters

If Republicans were waiting for American Jewish voters to abandon the Democratic Party over Israel, they may be waiting a while. A new national poll of Jewish voters finds that 67% plan to vote for Democratic congressional candidates in November’s midterm elections. Considering everything that has happened inside the Democratic Party over Israel, that number may raise some eyebrows. But maybe it shouldn’t.

The Jewish Voters Resource Center survey, conducted by GBAO Strategies from Aug. 26 through Sept. 1 among 800 self-identified Jewish registered voters, shows something that continues to be true: Jewish Americans remain one of the Democratic Party’s most reliable voting blocs. Let’s get into the numbers and analysis.

Start with the religious makeup of American Jewry. The survey’s denominational breakdown shows 37% identifying as Reform Jewish, making it the largest single denomination. Another 31% say they have no particular Jewish denomination. Conservative Jews make up 17%, while Orthodox Jews account for just 9%.

When discussing “the Jewish vote,” you can’t treat American Jews as one religiously and politically cohesive community. They’re not. 

Orthodox Jews, whose lives tend to be more closely structured around Torah, Jewish law and traditional religious observance, represent a relatively small percentage of the overall Jewish electorate. Reform Jews, who are fully progressive politically, make up a much larger share. When you throw in Jews without a denominational affiliation, it helps explain why support for Israel does not necessarily determine their vote.

The poll makes that crystal clear. Asked to identify their two most important political priorities, 37% of Jewish voters selected the cost of living and affordability. Another 36% selected the future of democracy. Antisemitism came next at 25%. And Israel? Just 16%.

Despite the enormous amount of political attention being paid to Israel, Gaza and global antisemitism, Israel simply isn’t the 'North Star' issue for most American Jews when they enter the voting booth. Their domestic political worldview appears to matter more.

That becomes even more clear when you look deeper at their views of Israel. The survey finds 71% of Jewish voters say they are emotionally attached to Israel, but then comes the other side of the equation: 65% disapprove of the Israeli government’s current policies regarding Gaza and the West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fares even worse politically with U.S. Jewish voters: 67% have an unfavorable opinion of him, compared with only 27% who view him favorably. That distinction is important to understanding why the turmoil over Israel inside the Democratic Party has not produced the sort of massive Jewish voter exodus some observers have predicted.

Jews can worry deeply about antisemitism – and they do. An overwhelming 89% surveyed say they are concerned about antisemitism in the United States, including 63% who say they are very concerned. Yet they can still vote Democratic. So what’s the deeper truth here?

For many American Jews, liberalism is not merely a political preference. It has become intertwined with their cultural understanding of Jewish identity – including concepts of social justice, civil rights, minority protections and concern for the disadvantaged. That often produces a worldview very different from Orthodox Jews whose political and cultural views may be more directly shaped by traditional Jewish religious teachings that are biblically-based.

And there is a personal element to this for me. I grew up Reform Jewish before giving my life to Jesus Christ in 1988. So I understand the culture. For many Reform and secular liberal Jews, Jewish identity is deeply meaningful. Their Jewishness centers around family, history, ethnicity, holidays and cultural traditions. As for the Bible? Eh – not so much.

That doesn’t make their Jewish identity less sincere, but it does make the political calculation different. It also helps explain the Netanyahu problem.

Many liberal American Jews view Israeli politics through the same progressive framework as they use to assess U.S. politics. Questions involving Palestinians, settlements and the Gaza Strip are therefore frequently understood through themes of power, equality and minority rights. That worldview places them naturally at odds with Netanyahu’s conservative governing coalition.

What it boils down to is the reality that Jewish voters overall have not abandoned the Democratic Party. At least not yet.

Sure, there are some famous liberal Jewish Democrats like lawyer Alan Dershowitz and comedian Bill Maher who are dismayed and frustrated with the Democratic Party, but the rank and file, made up of a majority of secular-based Reform Jews, are still hanging in there. 

It all tells us exactly how much of the American Jewish electorate is politically and emotionally attached to Israel but unhappy with Netanyahu; concerned about antisemitism but, first and foremost, still overwhelmingly liberal. And when November arrives, that liberal political identity appears poised once again to win out at the ballot box.