Why, Oh Why Do The Israelis Hate Israel?

by Sandi Behrns

It would appear that the United States Congress is more pro-Israel than a majority of the Israeli people. While Democrats and Republicans alike fawned over Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress Tuesday (interrupting him with an amazing 29 standing ovations), an Israeli poll conducted the following morning shows voters wishing they’d heard a more conciliatory and less strident message.

In the morning following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress, a poll published by the Israeli daily Maariv indicates that while Netanyahu enjoys considerable support among Israelis, the public is far more inclined than its prime minister to make concessions to the Palestinians.

According to a Teleseker-Maariv poll, conducted last night, a clear majority of 57 percent of Israelis would have wanted Netanyahu to say “yes” or “yes, but” (figures break 10 percent “yes”, 47 “yes, but”) to the path to a two-state solution outlined in President Obama’s speech.

(As pollster Dahlia Scheindlin wrote …such figures correspond to previous polls, which show, for most part, the support of most of the Jewish public for a two-state solution based on the ‘67 borders.) [+972 Magazine]

That’s right: pro-Israel supporters in the US are less inclined toward a peace process and concessions to the Palestinian people than a majority of Israelis.

As The Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen quips,

This is about the time Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) should explain to Israelis that they’re insufficiently pro-Israel.

Then again, neither US Senators and Congressmen nor AIPAC lobbyists have to live in a war zone.  It seems that in Tea Party America, the big points are scored on sheer pugnaciousness. Money and political power in the United States continues to goad Netanyahu along, with the upshot being that there will be no peace process.

By: Sandi Behrns

Sandi Behrns is a noted policy nerd, new media & web developer, and consultant to progressive organizations and campaigns. She is a senior contributor to Liberaland, and the Executive Editor of Progressive Congress News.