Poll shows divide between Israelis and US Jews

Occupied Jerusalem: An opinion poll published on Sunday shows deep divisions between Israelis and American Jews, particularly in relation to President Donald Trump, highlighting the growing rift between the world’s two largest Jewish communities.

The survey of the American Jewish Committee showed 77 per cent of Israelis approved of the president’s handling of US-Israel relations, while only 34 per cent of American Jews did. Fifty-seven per cent of US Jews disapproved, while only 10 per cent of Israelis did.

The polarising Trump recently recognised occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocated the American Embassy there, upending decades of US foreign policy and an international consensus that the city’s fate should be decided through peace negotiations. The Palestinians, who claim East Jerusalem as their future capital, were outraged by the move and cut all contacts with the US in response.

Eighty-five per cent of Israelis supported the embassy move, while only 46 per cent of American Jews did.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has forged a close bond with Trump, and their hardline policies toward the Palestinians have strong support in Israel and among its Republican backers in the US. But most American Jews are Democrats who are highly critical of Trump and Netanyahu.

The poll showed 59 per cent of Americans favouring the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel but only 44 per cent of Israelis supporting the idea.