Poll: Jewish Voters View Trump, Cruz Unfavorably

For weeks, Ted Cruz has been hammering Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for suggesting that he would be “neutral” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet despite his strong pro-Israel bona fides, and his attempt to beat Trump in the remaining contests, Cruz is the least liked candidate in the race for president among Jewish voters, according to a new Gallup poll.

The poll, conducted January 2 to March 21, showed that 72 percent of Jewish Americans have an unfavorable view of both Cruz and Trump. 24 percent see Trump as favorable, while only 20 percent have a favorable opinion of Cruz. Ohio Governor John Kasich is the only Republican presidential candidate who has a positive image among Jewish Americans (45/28 favorable/unfavorable).

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is viewed most favorable (61/30), although Hillary Clinton’s net favorability rating is just a few points lower (60/35).

According to Gallup, 64% of American Jews identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 29% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.

The poll also showed tepid support for the proposal to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem – a centerpiece of Cruz’s campaign, and one also supported by Trump. Only 24 percent of Americans support moving the Embassy to Jerusalem, 20 percent disagree with this proposal, and 56 percent don’t know enough about it to have an opinion.

“A look at party differences shows that Republicans and leaners are somewhat more likely to favor the embassy move (and Republicans are more likely to have an opinion in general), while Democrats and leaners are less likely to have an opinion and tilt slightly negative,” Frank Newport, Gallup’s editor-in-chief, noted.