ISRAEL: Absentee voting exit polls

Update on the overseas vote from Israel (see previous post):

The exit polls show a very strong preference for John McCain over Barack Obama. The polls, carried out   and analyzed by Keevoon, a Jerusalem-based research, strategy and communications firm, indicate that 76% of the polled voters in Israel said they voted for Republican candidate John McCain; 24% said they cast their ballot in favor the Democrat, Barack Obama. The information is based on data collected from 817 absentee voters at several voting events in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv as well as an online survey.

A few interesting figures about the voters:

• A clear correlation was noted between religious observance and voting pattern.
• Turnout among young voters ages 18 to 34 was high (37%)
• 31% were first-time voters
• 25% have lived in Israel for more than 15 years, 33% less than one year
• 52% are also Israeli citizens
• Half are either independent or not registered with either party

A few interesting figures about their vote:

• 
  46% of Democrats crossed party lines to vote for McCain.
  Only 2% of Republicans voted for Obama. And
  57% listed foreign policy (including Israel) as the most important factor in their consideration; 14% listed the economy; 7%, Iran; and 6%, the war in Iraq/terrorism.
  Nearly two-thirds were 'very concerned' with Iran; 93% agreed that a nuclear Iran would be a threat to the U.S.

Perhaps most interesting is that McCain is viewed as more capable of handling challenges, even among Obama voters.

Mitchell Barak, founder and CEO of Keevoon, said the margin was interesting "because it was so broad-based. It wasn't just New York and not just Republicans voting for McCain. His support was pretty consistent across the board demographically and geographically among the different states," as well as among those who live in Israel both permanently and temporarily.

Dena Lerner, project manager for Vote From Israel, the nonpartisan organization that encouraged voting and commissioned the poll, said the exit poll gave people "the opportunity to publicly voice their opinion in a manner that can be heard and recognized."

A different poll published in Israel this week surveyed the positions of Israelis on the U.S. elections. Asked whom they would vote for if they could, 46.4% answered McCain, 34% Obama, and 18.6% were undecided. More respondents answered that McCain would be better for Israel and would better handle the Iranian issue. More respondents believe Obama will handle the economic crisis better, and the two candidates scored nearly identitically on the question of who would be better for Israel on the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier today, Danny Ayalon, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., told Israel radio that, either way, relations between Israel and the U.S. would not suffer. "The common interests, shared values and history of good relations" are strong, he said.

-- Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem

Source for data and graphics above: Keevoon Research, Strategy & Communications. With permission. Click images to enlarge.

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Comments

[Jonny Ben-Lol]

Cute how so many Obama supporters have decided to use thinly-veiled anti-Semitism to explain the preference of most Israeli-American individuals for McCain.

"Israelis are bullies..." - Bob.

"They have a nasty habit of trying to kill everything..." - MissLadyLiberty

"Israelis are extremely warlike." - Hilary

[Charles lee]

why not what record has Obama have, only words

[Reality Check]

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE? I can't believe y'all are believing in this OBAMA. Y'all are so NAIVE. I'm not from Israel and I'm not even jewish but Israel is not a warring country. They are just being realistic. How would you like if you're neighbor has been saying that they are going to KILL you and then start buying guns. Is that ok with you? I bet you'd move the next day. They don't have that option. Reality is EAST hates the WEST. No matter what he say, Obama's foundation is ISLAM. Even if we don't want to go to war, EAST WILL TRY AND KILL ALL OF US.

[Gary Sherman Oaks]

I am a former Angelino living in Israel, and voted Obama. I wasn't polled by these guys, and guess many like me also were not. Some of the anti-Israeli comments are counter-productive. Peace Now!
Gary

[Adrian P]

The firm that conducted this poll, Keevoon, is run by Mitchell Barack, a former member of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) which advocates for Jewish support of the Republican Party. The RJC have been trying to link Obama to Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Prior to starting Keevoon, Mitchell Barack worked on campaigns for Netanyahu and Sharon and has even run for the Knesset himself, as a conservative.

In my opinion, his polls are engineered to influence Americans and Israelis into supporting the Republican party.

Read his own words here:

http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2006/01/23/News/Alumnus.Fails.In.Bid.For.Israeli.Knesset-1493154.shtml

[Dr. Donna]

The above comments clearly betray the Jew hate amongst Obama's hard core Far Left supporters who have co-opted the Democratic Party. In case you don't realize..These virulent Obama "volunteers" troll the blogsphere comments sections 24/7 - day and night attacking anything that moves.
Their anti-Israel stance is well known. Obama will eventually have to pay back these Far Left lunatics for their endless, rabid, attack-dog support by letting the ayatollahs have their way with Israel. That is why Jews in Israel prefer McCain.

[Charles lee]

I dont blame them what record do we have with Obama.Only words and we all know how much words count.

[SaveAmerica]

Looks like 76% have NOT drank the cool-aid the Democrats have blended together with deception, money, and help from the media.
(Even the elect will be deceived.)

[Mohammad]

McCain = WW3
WW3 = Isreal Elimination

Vote on dummies!

[Adam]

For the record I'm not jewish and neither are any of my family. I have never lived in Israel.

Having said that, I think this rabid Israel bashing is just lunacy. I don't agree with everything Israel does, but they definately have the right to exist and defend themselves. They have a right to bomb terrorists who seek to harm innocent Israelis. Just like we in America have the right to bomb people who want to kill Americans. With the Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the other terrorist groups that are against Israel, they are literally in a struggle for their survival. In public, they fight because of the occupation but in private they state that they will continue to fight until Israel is destroyed. Terror has to be confronted and fought no matter who it is against.

[anemone17]

Perhaps I am missing something obvious here--but if you hold dual US and Israeli citizenship, and are a permanent resident of Israel, why are you allowed to vote in a U.S. election? More specifically, why are you allowed to vote on matters that directly affect US citizens when you have chosen to live in Israel, pay taxes to that country instead of to the U.S.? It only goes to follow that such dual citizens would be far, far more likely to vote for a candidate who they perceive would be better for Israel, whether it serves the best interests of the majority of Americans or not.

As for those people living in the U.S. who prioritizes the well-being of their home country above this country when they cast a vote in a U.S. election, maybe they need to reconsider where they live. Defining these voters as "pro-America" would be a stretch even for the McCain campaign.

[Alrufa]

Ultimately what matters is winning the Electoral College. Even after all the negative campaigning McCain is doing many still support him because he was a POW and people consider him to be more patriotic than others. They do not understand he has no leadership skills. Vote for McCain is vote for POW. We need someone young and with new perspective to solve our problems not an crumply unpredictable man.

[Charles lee]

I dont blame them what record do we have with obama only words and we all know how much words count.

[Jeff]

You people are ruthless. You are basically consigning an entire nation to destruction if we stop supporting them - but you are ok with it? I guess you would be, since most of you are probably consigning American to destruction as well...

Good thing you want to tax me into oblivion to help the poor - must help balance your conscience.

[JL]

Of course, those living in Israel care about issues affecting Israel. Back home, the economy is a wreck, making it the number one voting issue here in the U.S. That's why it doesn't factor so high in Israel as an election issue...although it should. Our economy definitely affects the economic climate in Israel and the rest of the world. Obama is clearly better on economic issues. If those polled in Israel thought about the economic issues on a global scale, one would hope they would cast their vote for Obama.

[Maureen]

This is no surprise. Israelis are fed a steady diet of Fox News, and we all know which side of the aisle they sit on. For the last eight years, American-Israelis have supported Bush because they felt that he was good for Israel. Be that true or false, they have no concern for what that administration has done to America, itself. So the best thing about this poll is: it counts for nothing.

[Adam S]

All I can say is I am shocked and saddened. Palin sat idly by while her pastor praised Palestinians as doing God's work by killing Jews. “When Isaac was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment--you can't miss it!” Then she went up and gave the man a hug. I simply think these Israeli American's are just showing us how warped they are. Their government has never been more stable than any other third world nation because they are zealous voters rather than intelligent voters. Hopefully the Real Jewish American's will vote with more tact. These Israeli-American's are self loathing to vote for a crazed social-christian.

[Gary Sherman Oaks]

I am a former Angelino living in Israel, and voted Obama. I wasn't polled by these guys, and guess many like me also were not. Some of the anti-Israeli comments are counter-productive. Peace Now!
Gary

[Who Is Obama]

OPEN LETTER TO AMERICANS WHO LOVE ISRAEL

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/an-open-letter-to-americans-who-love-israel/

[Melik]

I agree, let's ship the warmonger McCain to Israel. Does not Israel need a new Leader? Why should Israel have new elections? Israel will be a more appropriate place for McCain to sing "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran, the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, etc.
God save us if McCain is elected president.