Attitudes of American Jews
(September 2013)
American Jewish Committee, "2013 AJC Survey of American Jewish
Opinion," AJC. Conducted September 30 - October 15, 2013.
Where would you place yourself on this scale?
| Liberal |
26% |
| Lean Liberal |
21% |
| Moderate, Middle of the Road |
35% |
| Lean Conservative |
12% |
| Conservative |
8% |
In politics today, do you consider yourself a
Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent?
| Republican |
15% |
| Independent |
32% |
| Democrat |
52% |
Although the next presidential election is not until 2016, several people are being mentioned as potential candidates. We would like you to rate your feelings toward some presidential candidates, with 100 meaning a very warm, favorable feeling, 0 meaning a very cold, unfavorable feeling, and 50 meaning not particularly warm or cold. You can use any number from 0 to 100. How would you rate your feelings toward the following... (mean responses, all respond
| Hillary Clinton |
60 |
| Joe Biden |
45 |
| John Kerry |
40 |
| Chris Christie |
37 |
| Andrew Cuomo |
35 |
| Jeb Bush |
24 |
| Marco Rubio |
23 |
| Rand Paul |
20 |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way that President Obama is handling national security?
| Approve strongly |
23% |
| Approve somewhat |
44% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
18% |
| Disapprove strongly |
15% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way that President Obama is handling the U.S.-Israel relationship?
| Approve strongly |
15% |
| Approve somewhat |
44% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
19% |
| Disapprove strongly |
20% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way that President Obama is handling the conflict in Syria?
| Approve strongly |
15% |
| Approve somewhat |
44% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
20% |
| Disapprove strongly |
20% |
From the standpoint of American national interests, who would you like to see win the current civil war in Syria?
| The government |
11% |
| The rebels |
24% |
| Neither side |
63% |
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the way that President Obama is handling immigration issues?
| Approve strongly |
17% |
| Approve somewhat |
46% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
18% |
| Disapprove strongly |
17% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way that President Obama is handling Iran's nuclear program?
| Approve strongly |
17% |
| Approve somewhat |
45% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
19% |
| Disapprove strongly |
17% |
What is your opinion on same-sex marriage?
| It should be legal countrywide |
71% |
| It should be illegal countrywide |
11% |
| States should decide individually |
18% |
The Arab Spring has brought changes to several countries in the Middle East. Overall, are you optimistic, or pessimistic about these changes?
| Very optimistic |
3% |
| Moderately optimistic |
37% |
| Moderately pessimistic |
38% |
| Very pessimistic |
18% |
With regard to recent political developments in Egypt, are you optimistic or pessimistic?
| Very optimistic |
1% |
| Moderately optimistic |
29% |
| Moderately pessimistic |
49% |
| Very pessimistic |
19% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the way that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is handling the U.S.-Israel relationship?
| Approve strongly |
19% |
| Approve somewhat |
52% |
| Disapprove somewhat |
23% |
| Disapprove strongly |
4% |
How concerned are you at the prospect of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons?
| Very concerned |
55% |
| Somewhat concerned |
29% |
| Not very concerned |
11% |
| Not concerned at all |
4% |
How likely do you think that a combination of diplomacy and sanctions can stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
| Very likely |
10% |
| Somewhat likely |
36% |
| Somewhat unlikely |
27% |
| Very unlikely |
25% |
If diplomacy and sanctions fail, would you support or oppose the United States taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?
| Support strongly |
24% |
| Support somewhat |
28% |
| Oppose somewhat |
28% |
| Oppose strongly |
17% |
If diplomacy and sanctions fail, would you support or oppose Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons?
| Support strongly |
35% |
| Support somewhat |
32% |
| Oppose somewhat |
18% |
| Oppose strongly |
12% |
Compared to one year ago, do you think prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace have increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
| Increased |
12% |
| Decreased |
19% |
| Stayed the same |
68% |
As part of a permanent settlement with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to dismantle all, some, or none of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank?
| All |
12% |
| Some |
44% |
| None |
43% |
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The goal of the Arabs is not a peaceful two-state agreement with Israel, but rather the destruction of Israel.”
In the current situation, do you favor or oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state?
Is anti-Semitism currently a problem in the United States?
| Yes, it is a very serious problem |
14% |
| Yes, it is somewhat of a problem |
67% |
| No, it is not a problem at all |
18% |
Is anti-Semitism currently a problem in Europe?
| Yes, it is a very serious problem |
38% |
| Yes, it is somewhat of a problem |
52% |
| No, it is not a problem at all |
9% |
Is anti-Semitism currently a problem in the Arab world?
| Yes, it is a very serious problem |
88% |
| Yes, it is somewhat of a problem |
10% |
| No, it is not a problem at all |
1% |
Do you think of yourself as...?
| Orthodox |
10% |
| Conservative |
18% |
| Reconstructionist |
2% |
| Reform |
35% |
| Just Jewish |
33% |
How important is being Jewish in your life?
| Very important |
33% |
| Somewhat important |
30% |
| Somewhat unimportant |
22% |
| Not important at all |
14% |
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Caring about Israel is a very important part of my being a Jew.”
| Agree strongly |
34% |
| Agree somewhat |
36% |
| Disagree somewhat |
18% |
| Disagree strongly |
11% |
Which of these statements best represents your opinion of the role of religion in the State of Israel?
| The current relationship is best |
23% |
| Religion should play more of a role |
6% |
| Religion should play less of a role |
25% |
| There should be a separation between religion and state affairs |
43% |
If you are married, is your spouse...
| Jewish |
63% |
| Not Jewish |
37% |
|