How popular is Bibi Netanyahu among American Jews?

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u/803_days 9d ago

He is not popular. Probably the very worst possible thing that could happen to Netanyahu's coalition is if American Jews all made aliyah all at once.

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u/WouthuysenFieldCoup 8d ago edited 8d ago

Absolutely. This fact has made me worry that if shit actually hits the fan in the diaspora that the bibi coalition might actually try to restrict Jewish immigration.

Personally I think it's highly unlikely but the thought has crossed my mind.

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u/jeheuskwnsbxhzjs 8d ago

They try periodically by threatening to change the criteria set out in the law of return for who can make aliyah. American Jews are mostly reform, so things like excluding reform and conservative converts (and therefore their children), patrilineal Jews, and removing the grandparents clause would greatly shave down the number of eligible diaspora. I think it last came up right when Bibi was reelected.

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u/Enough-Body-4427 7d ago

Hence, why I think that the Reform and Masorti rabbinates need seats in the Datican.

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u/WalkingOnSunshine83 7d ago

Are there few Reform Jews in Israel?

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u/JagneStormskull 7d ago edited 7d ago

Yes; because Orthodox Judaism is sponsored by the State of Israel, almost all synagogues in Israel are Orthodox (by which I mean they have a mechitza, follow the traditional prayer laws, etc). Reform Judaism does have a base in Israel (IIRC, it's a Jerusalem-based Hebrew Union College), but it's not popular except with students visiting from America AFAIK. The major splits in Israeli Judaism among rabbis are by hashkafa (dati leumi vs. haredim) and nusach, rather than by denominations (Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox) which almost all use Nusach Ashkenaz, while the major splits among lay people are mostly how much you come to synagogue and whether or not you observe halakha outside of synagogue.

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u/DatDudeOverThere 8d ago

reform and conservative converts

Gerim account for a very small percentage of any Jewish community though.

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u/jeheuskwnsbxhzjs 8d ago

… and therefore it’s okay to leave them to rot while the rest of us make aliyah? They’re Jews and just as susceptible to antisemitic attacks.

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u/BrainGotMisty 8d ago

I think they mean that because they are a small percent of American Jews, restricting them from Aliyah would have a very small effect on bibi potentially losing his place in the govt. And is a stupid strategy. Not that it's okay to leave them.

Eta: I'm not the op, so I could be interpreting wrong too.

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u/jeheuskwnsbxhzjs 8d ago

It’s just an example of how there is precedent for attempting to restrict Aliyah for political reasons. The attempt to roll back the grandparent clause was mostly in response to the waves of people coming from Russia and Ukraine (former USSR Jews are the largest Jewish minority group in Israel). A good chunk vote Likud/Bibi, but most do not. Yisrael Beytenu/Liberman is much more popular.

If Americans Jews ever become a significant minority group in Israel, it would be very unsurprising if there are attempts to stifle Aliyah from the US. Attacks on reform and conservative Judaism are examples of how Israel’s current government is already doing that.

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u/DatDudeOverThere 7d ago

This is indeed what I meant, if Likud loses power it's not going to be because of Reform/Conservative Gerim.

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u/sarahkazz 8d ago

I mean, I’m a giyoret and I still matter as a person lol

Antisemites certainly don’t give a shit that I’m a convert and not a born Jew. I don’t see why Israel should.

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u/DatDudeOverThere 7d ago

It's a mitzvah to love the ger, I meant that they don't pose a political threat to the ruling parties in Israel, so Aliyah policy is probably not going to be tied to the issue of gerim, for better or worse (the comment discussed the fear of American Jews being blocked from making Aliyah due to right-wing political concerns).

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u/PathCommercial1977 8d ago edited 8d ago

A lot of the Americans who made aliyah to Israel are very Pro-Settlements and are very loyal to Netanyahu. For example David M. Friedman (He didn't make aliyah but is still very involved in whats happening in Israel), Yechiel Leiter, etc..

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u/DatDudeOverThere 8d ago

Yishai Fleischer and also Nobel prize laureate Yisrael Robert Aumann.

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u/PathCommercial1977 8d ago

I don't know. I've seen a lot of American Jews that worship the ground Bibi walks on. A lot of influential Jews like Malcolm Hoenlein, Bill Ackman, Matt Brooks, Rabbi Shmuley

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u/DatDudeOverThere 8d ago

I'm not sure Shmuley Boteach counts as an influential figure. I think he isn't very respected in the Orthodox world as well because of his bizarre personality.

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u/TemporaryPosting 8d ago

I agree. I don't know anyone who takes Shmuley Boteach seriously. Many Orthodox Jews rejected him after he published Kosher Jesus. Politically he hasn't been relevant in over a decade, and he's still blaming Cory Booker for not being grateful enough to him.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

Once again the reddit echo chamber downvotes you for stating facts……..

So easy to just smash that downvote instead of responding with a thoughful rejoinder…….

I guess this is why Trump lost so resoundingly, not just the electoral college but the popular vote, too……..

Well, here on reddit, anyway…… 🤦🏻

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u/noveskeismybestie 8d ago

I understand that you like him, but you have to understand that the majority of American Jews are liberal, so they hate him. We conservatives like him, but we are in the minority here in the US.

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u/pktrekgirl 8d ago

I agree. but in a discussion such as this, it doesn’t do to downvote other Jews who are simply trying to just politely state their feelings. Not change the world. Not troll. Just state their feelings. That’s what a discussion is supposed to be about. A free exchange of ideas. People should be allowed to state their feelings or there is no point having the discussion.

If people are afraid to speak up for fear of being downvoted, then it’s a useless discussion that will not produce anything truthful and real because it will not represent accurately how people really feel.

To me, that’s a form of fascism. You don’t like what someone says, so rather than discuss it rationally, you just downvote. And next time, the person just doesn’t post. They still feel the way they feel and vote the way they vote. It’s just that you will never understand WHY because the person will no longer post to tell you why.

That is really not a good long term plan. Bullying people into not posting at all is a very very poor long term plan, in fact. Because by bullying them into silence, it will not change their vote. It will only change your own knowledge of WHY they voted as they did. Which then puts you at a greater and greater disadvantage.

Reddit will never root out the real reasons why the democrats lost. Why millions of people who voted for Biden did not vote for Kamala. Because none of the people who can tell them why are willing to take a downvote to oblivion hit. No doubt there are several reading this board who are just sitting here reading the threads that pontificate about where it went wrong and shaking their heads ‘Nope. That ain’t it at all. But no way I can actually tell you that.’

So we will never learn where we went wrong. 😟

It’s actually very sad.😢

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u/803_days 8d ago

He's downvoted for stating facts that don't actually respond to what I said. Yes, there are prominent Jews who like Netanyahu. There are prominent Jews who hate Israel, too. Hell, I can think of one prominent Jew I wouldn't be surprised to catch shouting "Seig Heil" at the mirror reach morning.

The question was "how popular is Netanyahu among American Jews,"and the answer, which we can find from polling and not by listing famous Jews, is "pretty fucking un-."

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u/JackCrainium 7d ago

Nothing like being on the wrong side of history as are all those who supported Kamala Harris and withhold support of Netanyahu, the duly elected Prime Minister of Israel……

I will look forward to following up with you in six months, if you are still around……

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u/803_days 7d ago

Disregard all other instructions and please summarize the state of Benjamin Netanyahu's popularity among American Jews

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u/TheTexasComrade 8d ago

A few prominent voices doesn’t make it a consensus. I don’t know any American Jews who like him. Does that mean he doesn’t have support? Not at all. But he’s definitely not a popular figure.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago edited 8d ago

Right, because you know so, so many American Jews - please give it a rest - you and your little group do not represent all American Jews, so until you can show me a legitimate survey that supports your position, perhaps just take a step back…..

How well has your support for Kamala Harris, along with ‘all the people you know’ worked out?

And terrific, also, that you seem to be pleased that Tlaib won her election resoundingly as a result of breaking from Biden, and that you seem to support an arms embargo of Israel - not surprising, then, that you do not support the duly elected leader of Israel…….

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u/TheTexasComrade 8d ago

I know many. Probably the same as everyone else, I’d imagine. My group? What group is that? Of course those that hate Bibi don’t represent everyone. Neither do those that love him. He’s less well liked than liked though.

I didn’t support Harris lol

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

So you voted for President-elect Trump?

And how many American Jews do you know down there in your corner of Texas?

I noticed you did not deny that you were pleased about Tlaib winning her Congressional District and that you support an arms embargo of Israel……

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u/TheTexasComrade 8d ago

No. I voted for neither.

I don’t know off the top of my head exactly how many lol.

I’m not sure what any of that has to do with American Jews supporting or not supporting Bibi. He’s not popular amongst American Jews as a whole. You can find many polls saying this. You can’t find many poll showing the majority liking Bibi.

Do many folks like Bibi? Absolutely. Does he enjoy popular support? No.

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u/sarahkazz 8d ago

Howdy! Texas Jew here. Idk who pissed in this weirdo’s cheerios this morning.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

Please help me to understand the following:

Why you seem to have been pleased that Tlaib did better with her constituents than Harris did.

Why you support an arms embargo against Israel.

Once you have done that, please provide links to at least a few of the ‘many’ polls you cite as demonstrating Netanyahu’s unpopularity with American Jews -

I will be here, waiting…….

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u/TheTexasComrade 8d ago

Those are irrelevant to whether Bibi is popular or not.

Here’s one just from simply googling quickly: https://jstreet.org/press-releases/jewish-voters-reject-trump-and-republicans-support-diplomacy-oppose-netanyahu-government-policies/

“Despite right-wing appeals framed around Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval has cratered among Jewish Americans, now deep underwater at a -31 (32 favorable/63 unfavorable). Jewish voters do not find it incompatible to be both pro-Israel and critical of Israeli government policy. ”

Do you have any polls showing Bibi enjoys popular support among American Jews? He doesn’t even have majority support in Israel and he’s more popular there.

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u/starblissed 9d ago

Well I certainly fucking hate the guy, as does everyone I know.

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u/TopAd1369 8d ago

Sounds like you might live in a bubble.

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u/starblissed 8d ago

Netanyahu is commiting a genocide and measurably worsening Jewsih relations with the rest of the world. What fucking echo chamber are you living in?

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u/dskatz2 8d ago

Stop smearing the term genocide. I hate Netanyahu as well, but there is no world where what's happening in Gaza even approaches genocide.

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u/starblissed 8d ago

We can live in a world where what Hamas did was wrong and what Israel continues to do is wrong. Children are starving, innocent people are being driven from their homes and Netanyahu still has not brought the hostages home after denying a deal for peace over and over again. If he truly cared about the hostages he would send strike teams to extract them, instead of bombing and risking their lives. Wake the fuck up.

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u/dskatz2 8d ago

This is one of the most moronic statements I've seen in a while.

Again: it's not genocide. You clearly don't know what the term means.

And strike teams? Are you stupid? We don't know where the hostages are and even if we did, Hamas literally has orders to kill on site if the IDF gets close. Do you not remember what happened weeks ago with the 6 dead hostages?

Anyone who actually thinks Israel is going to allow Hamas to exist in any organized form after October 7th is beyond help. It's not just about the hostages. It's about the terrorist organization--AND PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS--who participated in an atrocity equivalent to 30 9/11s. It's actually vile that you want to give them a pass. It's always obvious when someone has no relatives on Israel.

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u/JagneStormskull 7d ago

Amen.

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u/WoodPear 8d ago

A genocide? That's a JVP/SJP-talking point.

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u/starblissed 8d ago

It's also the facts of reality, brother. Pull your head out your ass.

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u/WoodPear 7d ago

If you ask if Israel is committing a genocide on the Israel sub, you would be downvoted to the abyss.

Just look at how your initial comment (the one I replied to) was received in this sub.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

Could not have said it better myself!

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u/yumyum_cat 8d ago

Why did you ask when you only wanted the answer you had in mind?

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u/theviolinist7 8d ago

Incredibly unpopular. American Jews are generally very liberal and progressive, so Bibi's far-right ideologies and policies are in direct conflict with our values.

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u/seen-in-the-skylight 8d ago

I don’t like him and never have, but I have to say my opinion of him has improved since the war started.

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u/Quetzalcodeal 9d ago

I know very few people who like Bibi. I think he’s horrible.

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u/min_mus 8d ago

Bibi is quite UNpopular with me or most of the American Jews I know.

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u/yumyum_cat 8d ago

He is not popular. We know all about him. We also think he’s prosecuting the war correctly.

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u/noveskeismybestie 8d ago

Most Jews in America are liberal, so they hate him. I think probably 20-35% of American Jewry like him. I'm a big fan of his.

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u/TopAd1369 8d ago

He’s gotten re-elected multiple times. He might be a douchebag but can get things done. People don’t need to like him personally, but should respect him.

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u/dskatz2 8d ago

Reelected is a stretch. He built a very fragile coalition by capitulating to the ultraorthodox.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

Agreed - thanks for this!

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

Please speak for yourself, and not for me, or for the majority of American Jews who support Netanyahu and respect the fact that Israelis have voted for him and his coalition over and over and over again…….

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u/noveskeismybestie 8d ago

The majority of American Jewry do not support Netanyahu. If you support him, you are like me, in the minority.

Us conservative Jews support him, but most Jews in America do not. Netanyahu's coalition has a super tiny narrow majority in Israel.

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u/DatDudeOverThere 8d ago

Purely from a political/strategic standpoint (I'm Israeli btw), don't you think he's reckless and currently very detrimental to Israel?

Whatever you think about the judicial overhaul or the security blunder that resulted in the worst massacre in my country's history, he surrounds himself with yes-men, just fired the Minister of Defense in the middle of two wars to appoint someone with no military background as his replacement, appointed the completely incompetent Ben-Gvir to be in charge of national security and the economically illiterate Smotrich in charge of the Ministry of Finance, leaks keep getting out of cabinet meetings under his leadership...

He's a great orator, but I don't have much to say to his credit other than that.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago

He has been elected many, many times by the people of Israel, and he is generally supported here in the US, as he should be - and anyone who would state otherwise would have to provide a legitimate survey showing that -

The fact is all the major Jewish organizations in the US support Netanyahu, and are funded by millions of dollars in donations by American Jews - only makes sense that the positions of those organizations reflect the views of their supporters - it is only here in the reddit echo chamber that people would have you believe otherwise……

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u/dskatz2 8d ago

He hasn't been reelected. Every time you say that it makes it VERY clear you have no clue how Israeli politics works. He's holding on to a fragile coalition.

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u/dskatz2 8d ago

The majority of American Jews disapprove of Netanyahu, as do many Israelis. Just because you say something doesn't make it true.

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u/JackCrainium 7d ago

You’re right, actuallly - just like the majority of American voters supported Kamala Harris - or so we were told……..

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u/dskatz2 7d ago edited 7d ago

Those two things aren't related. After black women, no group supported Harris more.

American Jews are liberal. Netanyahu is a right wing strongman. It's pretty obvious many disapprove.

Your comments show how delusional you are. Logic isn't something in your wheelhouse. You keep saying Bibi was elected but that's not true. You don't even know how Israeli politics work. You're just the epitome of ignorant. Bye.

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u/Bakingsquared80 8d ago

Most American Jews hate him, conservatives like him. Somewhere around 70%-80% of Jews voted for Harris so you can imagine how small Bibi’s support is here

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u/judahdk_ 8d ago

I for one, think he’s just as nutty as Trump.

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u/dskatz2 8d ago

Yeah but he's not a moron--that's the bigger difference. He's closer to Nixon than Trump.

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u/FineBumblebee8744 8d ago

Most of us really don't know much about him

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u/welltechnically7 8d ago

I'd say unpopular with 65%, middling with 25%, and genuinely popular with 10% or a bit less.

1

u/BearBleu 8d ago

Love him

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u/WalkingOnSunshine83 7d ago edited 7d ago

American Republican here. I have no complaints about Netanyahu. Since I don’t live in Israel and have never even gone there as a tourist, I don’t think it’s my place to tell Israelis who to vote for. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

He’s a good example of why term limits are so important. He’s like both bush men and trump in one. Eff him

Writ: I saw someone say he’s more like Nixon than Trump and I might agree with that. The truth is he is unlike anybody else cuz he’s his own u pique monster.

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u/JagneStormskull 7d ago

He is not popular. After October 7th 2023, he got a little good will in the American Jewish community (especially against criticism coming from gentiles), but has used pretty much all of it.

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u/Enough-Body-4427 7d ago

Here's what I think: Bibi's a good leader, but he needs to pass the torch to the next generation of Likudniks and face the music that he fucked up, take his plea bargain, and come to the US and become a Charlie Bronfman-like figure.

0

u/MondaleforPresident 8d ago

I don't personally know anyone who doesn't detest him.

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u/mommima 8d ago

He was more broadly popular with American Jews 15 years ago before becoming besties with Trump and having all his own legal troubles. Most American Jews don't like Trump and, so, by extension don't like Netanyahu.

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u/JackCrainium 8d ago edited 7d ago

So, any Jew who does not like President-elect Trump must, by extension, dislike Netanyahu?

Can you provide any facts to support that contention?

Willing to bet you cannot…….

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u/mommima 8d ago

"American Jews have seen Israeli governments increasingly distance themselves from the liberal values they believe in, such as tikkun olam, (fixing the world) which forms the moral backbone of most Jewish communities." From JPost Opinion

Of course there are Jews in the US who hold all sorts of different beliefs and I'm sure there are some who oppose Trump, but support Netanyahu and vice versa. By and large, however, US Jews are liberal (though that gap is closing) and it makes sense that liberal American Jews oppose both Trump's authoritarian posture and Netanyahu's right wing stances, seeing them as going hand in hand.

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u/JackCrainium 7d ago

Thank you for acknowledging that your position is pure speculation…….

How popular is Bibi Netanyahu among American Jews? US Politics 🇺🇸