JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Asking the right questions…

By Ron Kampeas · November 17, 2008

The Israel Project published a new poll yesterday underscoring broad post-election American support for Israel and for containing Iran.

Fair enough, and comforting stuff, but J-Street, the newest "dovish pro-Israel lobby" asks the oldest Jewish question: "Are you asking the right question?

Quoth J-Street director Jeremy Ben Ami:

Why does the Israel Project insist on asking Americans to choose sides between the Israelis and the Palestinians in a conflict that the United States is uniquely positioned to help resolve?

The right question is what percent of Americans support active U.S. leadership to resolve the conflict in order to provide both sides with security and peace.  Perhaps knowing that that number would have been above 80 percent, the Israel Project chose not to ask that question.

Similarly on Iran, the Israel Project’s questions are constructed to build the case for confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.  It’s about as surprising to learn that Americans want to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as it would be to learn that they want to lower unemployment.  The real surprise, that the Israel Project avoids revealing with its polling, is that Americans are willing to engage with Iran diplomatically to address the threat.  Again, knowing the overwhelming public support for diplomacy, it seems the Israel Project prefers to ask only questions that further its agenda rather than to examine real public opinion on the complex challenges facing the U.S. in the Middle East.”
 

Over to you, TIP...