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Poll: 81% of U.S. Jews believe Arabs want to destroy Israel
By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Eighty-one percent of American Jews believe that the real goal of the Arabs is the destruction of Israel and not the return of occupied land, according to the annual survey of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on various issues.

While 54 percent said they supported the establishment of a Palestinian state, only 38 percent said Israel and the Arabs could solve the conflict peacefully. Another 56 percent said they believed the conflict could not be resolved.

According to the survey, a slim majority of American Jews do not believe that the United States should act militarily to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Fifty-four percent opposed such action and 38 percent supported it. However, 57 percent said Israel would be justified in taking military action against Iran, while 35 percent were opposed
to Israel's taking such action.

The polls's 958 respondents were asked about the recent war in Lebanon, both its justification and its management. Fifty-five percent of those polled said Israel acted correctly in going to war, and 35 percent said it did not. Only 24 percent believe Israel won the war against Hezbollah, while 15 percent believe Hezbollah won. Nearly half, 49 percent, said neither side could be considered the winner.

A little over half of those polled, 54 percent, identified themselves as Democrats and only 15 percent as Republican. Conservative and Reform Jews dominated the poll, comprising 33 and 31 percent of respondents respectively, with 8 percent identifying themselves as Orthodox.

Seventy-four percent responded that "caring about Israel is a very important part of my being a Jew."




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