RJC Statement on Jewish Identification with the GOP

July 19, 2017

Washington, D.C. --  The RJC released a statement today about Republican Party identification in the American Jewish community.

According to an analysis that aggregated polling data on Jewish voters’ party identification, the percentage of American Jews who identify as Republican is on an upswing. In the last year, Jewish identification with the Republican Party went from 19% to 29%.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

Jewish Americans continue to move to the Republican Party, as we have seen in both opinion surveys and election exit polls. The foremost reason for this is the strong Republican support for Israel and the increasing anti-Israel radicalism in the Democrat Party.

President Trump made Israel part of his first foreign trip and was the first President to visit the Kotel during his time in office. Under President Trump and the Republican-led Congress, the U.S. has pushed back against anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, strengthened our relationship with Israel, and put the Palestinians on notice that their “pay for slay” policy is immoral and unacceptable.

At the same time, Democrats have withheld their support for the Taylor Force Act, which will withhold funds from the Palestinian Authority as long as they pay salaries to terrorists who kill Israelis and Americans. Both Democrat elected officials and grassroots Democrats identify with the radical “resistance” movement - a movement that glorifies anti-Israel activists like Linda Sarsour, who called for “jihad” against President Trump, and that defames Israel and advocates for BDS. What was once a radical fringe is now taking up a position in the Democrat mainstream and Jewish voters – from college students to retirees – are finding themselves increasingly unwelcome in the Democrat Party.

So it is no surprise that more and more Jewish Americans are finding their home and their party identification in the Republican Party.


Background:
“Jewish Party ID: More Democrats, more Republicans” by Shmuel Rosner, Jewish Journal.