A moral obligation to support Israel
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Poll: 82% of American Christians support Israel
Survey conducted in honor of 60th anniversary finds 65% of American Christians' presidential vote will be affected by candidates' Middle East stance
WASHINGTON – A new survey conducted by a Washington DC-based evangelical organization among American Christians has found that 82% of them believe they have a moral obligation to support the Jews and Israel.
The poll, conducted among Catholics and Protestants alike, tested their stance on Jerusalem's future and ways to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat.
The subjects were asked whether they thought a country created in the West bank and Gaza would be democratic and peaceful, or a terrorist state. Thirty-two percent thought it would become a terrorist state, 24% thought it would be democratic and peaceful, and 44% said they didn't know. Fifty percent said they believed Jerusalem should remain unified, 17% supported dividing it between two states, and 33% remained undecided.
Reject Their Support?
Associated Press
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According to the poll, 65% of American Christians are convinced that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, which its leaders will attempt to use in order to destroy Israel. A similar percentage said that the US presidential candidates' Middle East stance would constitute a major factor in their vote for president in August, in contrast to 13%, who said that the issue would not affect their vote.
The poll also found that 45% of American Christians would support the presidential candidate that promised not to pressure Israel into conceding on issues that would endanger its security, and to protect the US from the Islamic terrorist threat and Israel from the Iranian threat. Only nine percent said they would not support such a candidate, and 29% said these issues would not affect their vote.
If the poll does indeed reflect the prevailing opinion in the US, then the Tourism Ministry should consider making some improvements, as half of those polled said they would like to visit Christian sites in Israel, but only a small percentage has done so to date.
