The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently conducted a public opinion survey among American students for the first time in light of the rise of Boycott Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) activities on American campuses. Based on the poll it was revealed that 49% of American students have been exposed to calls for a boycott of Israel and most asked about it support BDS in one form or another.
In total, a whopping 56% of all those exposed to anti-Israel boycott calls support them, making the official number an alarming 28% of all students in the US. Although these numbers tell of a grim potential future for Israel-American relations, a positive note that came up in the survey is that 48% of the other students perceive Israel as an asset to American interests. Another bright spot is the survey was small in scope and as a result, might not truly reflect the diversity and range of feelings of American students all over the vast country. However, still the numbers do provide cause for Israel to step up its game when it comes to countering these protests.
The survey was conducted in September by pollsters from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs among a very small sample of just 513 students aged 18 and over. It was carried out using the Survey Monkey platform, at the request of Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll, as part of his efforts to increase support for Israel among various audiences in the US.
Democrat Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib says the quiet part out loud about today's Democrat Party: "You cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israel's 'apartheid' government." pic.twitter.com/MrPo0gLoev
ā RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 21, 2022
Among other things, prominent support for calls for a boycott of Israel was among those interested in politics, and relatively high support was also among private school students and those aged 30 and over. All these numbers indicate that BDS organizations are successful in influencing student groups on campuses. The new poll also fits the current state of American liberalism, also referred to as progressivism, which is slowly distancing itself from its former strong connection to Israel.
With the rise of politicians like the charismatic Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the champion of the progressive caucus and astute social media influencer, it is not surprising that there is a shift in opinions. However, Ms. Cortez has been caught on camera and in interviews blasting Israel, only to be stumped when asked for specifics, so it is unclear if her opinions on the matter are simply generic talking points. The most famous of these interviews came just after her election when Margaret Hoover of Public Broadcasting's 'Firing Line' news program asked some follow-up questions based on statements Ocasio-Cortez had made about Israel and the newly elected congresswoman seemed baffled and unsure of her actual positions.
.@AOC hates Israel but doesn't know why pic.twitter.com/6rUJo4qhFK
ā Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) September 25, 2021
The level of allegiance to Israel is prominent among conservatives and relatively low among Democrats and people who reported a lack of interest in politics. 48% perceive Israel as an asset to the USA and 24% do not see it as such. As age increases, so does sympathy for Israel. In addition, men sympathize with Israel more than women. The level of sympathy of the students is slightly lower than the level of sympathy in the general population.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it a point to note that this is positive news because it is known that students are often a tough, progressive and liberal audience, who are critical of Israel. Most students do not define sympathy or property according to economics, high-tech, and the market, but according to moral and liberal values.
Isreal on Campus Coalition worried the new generation of #Israel were pro #Palestine because college "were the formative years" for every politician. https://t.co/nlCKG3WpU5 pic.twitter.com/qoVNb4PAUa
ā Nalem (@pebblestrong) September 25, 2022
The fact that many of them see Israel as an asset is very positive news. The older Americans get and are exposed to Israel as a high-tech power and as a democracy in the Middle East that leads in many fields, the more they consider it an asset.
Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll, who recently visited USC in Los Angeles and spoke with students, said: "The situation on campuses in the US is worrying. Anti-Zionist organizations invest huge resources to discredit the State of Israel and encourage boycotts against it. I marked the campuses as a significant arena for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to share the Israeli story. Of course, there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, and during my visit there I recognized the tremendous thirst of the students for facts about Israel, in view of the waves of fake news spread by our enemies."
