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<\/a><\/p>\nPeople vote at North Quincy High School on November 3, 2026. (David L. Ryan\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The liberal Jewish Middle East policy group released its poll of national Jewish voters, which surveyed 800 people from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3. It found that 44% of respondents named the future of democracy as a key issue, while 21% named antisemitism (the third-most-popular response) and 14% cited Israel (the fifth-most-popular). The second ranked issue was the cost of living, at 34%.<\/p>\n
Jewish voter breakdown by party, both overall and on levels of individual denominations, was also consistent with past elections, with 72% of respondents voting for Democratic congressional candidates and disapproving of President Donald Trump. Orthodox voters trended more Republican and pro-Trump. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a constituency that knows what it thinks in their political beliefs, political values,\u201d Jim Gerstein, founding partner of pollster GBAO Strategies, which conducted J Street\u2019s survey, said of the national Jewish community in a press briefing.<\/p>\n
The survey was focused on national voters, and did not specifically poll Jews in Michigan, where Democratic senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed prompted much Jewish consternation. J Street did not formally endorse El-Sayed, who is critical of Israel and backs a total ban on the sale of weapons to the country..<\/p>\n
Gerstein said Republican efforts to reach Jewish voters who were uncomfortable with El-Sayed in Michigan and similar GOP efforts in other states didn\u2019t appear to have much effect, largely because the party\u2019s brand is so toxic to most Jews.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really not relevant when you look at how unpopular the Republican party is,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are not going to be making any traction with Jewish voters as long as this is the perception of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
J Street found that 31% of respondents backed ending all military aid to Israel, and would agree with some left-wing candidate rhetoric that described its conduct in Gaza as a genocide. That number jumped up to 60% for Jews under 35. <\/p>\n
Asked whether the defense aid should continue, 39% said yes, with conditions \u2013 which is consistent with J Street\u2019s policy \u2013 and 30% said yes, with no conditions. <\/p>\n
Trump announced on the morning of Election Day that he planned to end the $3.8 billion defense assistance Israel before year end, in part because it had become unpopular. .<\/p>\n
J Street\u2019s poll also found broad support for its two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at 65%. <\/p>\n
Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street\u2019s founder and president, told reporters that the survey \u2014 and the election or re-election of at least 180 J Street-backed House candidates \u2014 demonstrated that \u201cthe things that we stand for are, in fact, politically supported, and they reflect the majority of opinion right now in the American Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n