Findings from the Jewish People's Voice Index survey for August, conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), showed there was a significant rise in the percentage of Jews who view U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as pro-Israel after she was announced as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
Among the strong liberals, support increased from 75% in July to 82% in August. Among leaning liberals, the rise was from 44% to 61%. After Harris entered the race, a slight increase was seen in respondents who said they would definitely vote for the Democratic candidate, rising from 86% to 92% among the strong liberals.
At the same time, there was a slight rise in conservatives who said they would definitely vote for Trump, from 71% to 79%.
The report also highlighted that trust in the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains low among most Jewish respondents, except those within ultra-Orthodox communities. Over half of the survey participants expressed low levels of trust in Israeli leadership, reflecting deep concerns over the handling of the ongoing war and broader governance issues.
The report also showed most survey participants believe Israel's actions in Lebanon are either appropriate or too mild in response to Hezbollah's attacks. Among those identifying as centrist, 59% believe that the IDF's actions in Lebanon aren’t aggressive enough, with this figure rising to 81% among strong conservatives.
The survey also reveals a moderate but consistent rise in the number of liberal Jews who believe Israel’s response to Hamas' October 7 attack was too aggressive, increasing from 34% in January to 45% in August.
A significant portion of respondents from all streams view Iran as a severe threat to Israel. Among the strong liberals, 71% agree that Iran poses a serious threat to Israel compared to 97% of conservatives who share the view.
Further, 88% of strong conservatives and 39% of strong liberals believe Iran poses a threat to all Jews worldwide. The survey underscores a stark contrast in perceptions across the political spectrum, with conservative Jews more likely to see Iran as an existential threat compared to their liberal counterparts. U.S. Jews also view Iran as a serious danger to the United States.
Meanwhile, 73% of survey participants across all streams, except for the ultra-Orthodox, reported that their level of trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is low or very low, with more than half saying their trust in the Israeli government is similarly low. Among the Haredi respondents, 46% said the same.
Professor Yedidia Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, which run the survey, said: "Since the entrance of Vice President Kamala Harris into the presidential race, assessment of her support for Israel has grown more positive. Despite the divide among U.S. Jews on domestic American issues, both groups see Iran as a severe threat to Israel."
“Most believe that Israel's response to Hezbollah is either appropriate or too mild. The survey shows that Jewish support for Israel is solid and crosses political lines despite the fact that, as in Israel, the majority of American Jews don’t trust the prime minister, except for the ultra-Orthodox," he said.
The Jewish People's Voice survey was conducted among a sample of 511 American Jews between August 15 and 20, 2024.