Republicans believe that the deepening crisis in Gaza could ultimately loosen the grip that the Democratic Party has traditionally held upon American Jewish voters.
While declarations of a rift between Democrats and the Jewish community have proven premature in the past, things could be different this time, they assert.
Just in the last week, the Obama administration used unusually strong language to condemn the shelling of a United Nations-run school in Gaza, apparently by the Israeli military, and drafted a document for a cease-fire that Israeli officials denounced as favoring Hamas.
Conservatives say the overall stance of the administration has created an atmosphere of skepticism in the Democratic base toward Israel.
They point to a succession of recent polls to make their case. A Gallup survey last month found that only 31 percent of Democrats believed Israel’s actions against Hamas were justified, whereas 65 percent of Republicans held that view.
A Pew poll during the same period asked people which side was most to blame for the violence. Democrats split almost evenly on that question, with 29 percent blaming Hamas and 26 percent blaming Israel. By contrast, more than four times as many Republicans held Hamas culpable (60 percent) as pinned the blame on Israel (13 percent.)
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