The Jewish vote may be crucial in next week's elections, reports Anayat Durrani As D-Day nears in the United States, the two main presidential candidates race from state to state in a last ditch effort to reach out to voters. One group of voters being particularly targeted by both candidates are Jewish voters, who are known to turn out in large numbers on election day. Jewish Americans traditionally vote for the Democrats, supporting such issues as abortion rights, affirmative action, social justice, the separation of church and state, social security and the health system. Jews have one of the highest turn-out rates, 80-85 per cent -- double the national average while comprising only four per cent of the electorate. Concentrated in key battleground states such as Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, some analysts believe that the Jewish vote could make a significant difference in this election. Polls indicate that Jewish voters are leaning towards presidential candidate John Kerry. A poll released by the American Jewish Committee in late September found Kerry with 69 per cent support among Jewish voters compared to President Bush's 24 per cent. Among voters aged 40 and under, Kerry held 59 per cent while Bush only had the support of 33 per cent. Among voters between the ages of 40 and 59, Kerry had 64 per cent while Bush had 25 per cent support. From now until 2 November, all eyes will be focussed on Florida, home to 500,000 Jewish voters. Florida is a state with 27 electoral college votes, 10 per cent of the 270 required to win. Not surprisingly, Florida has been a frequent stop on the election trail by both Democrats and Republicans. During the last election President Bush received only 19 per cent of the Jewish vote, a number Republicans are vigorously trying to boost. For the past few months, the Republicans have been turning out the big guns to win more Jewish voters to their side. These have included Vice-President Dick Cheney, former Democratic New York City Mayor (now Bush supporter) Ed Koch, and former Republican NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. "Israel and the American Jewish community have never had a better friend in the Oval Office than George W Bush," Ari Fleischer, the former White House spokesman, said at a gathering of Palm Beach County Florida Jewish voters last week -- a fact widely acknowledged by Israeli representatives. President Bush's staunch support of Israel, his cozy friendship with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his unwavering stance on the war against terrorism are issues Republicans feel will win them more of the Jewish vote this election. After signing the new global anti- Semitism law onboard Air Force One last week, Bush held rallies in West Palm Beach and in Daytona Beach explaining the law to approving crowds. The law, which calls for the US State Department to create a special office to monitor global anti-Semitism, was sponsored by Democratic representative Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor in Congress. Few believe Bush will manage to match former Republican President Ronald Reagan's ability to capture 39 per cent of the Jewish vote in 1980. However, in a state where the 2000 election was decided by just over 500 votes, the Republicans are trying to secure all the votes that they can in what will be a very close election. Republicans have actively been recruiting Orthodox Jews, younger Jews and Jews from the former Soviet Union, who according to some experts appear to have been moving closer to the Republican Party in recent years. Issues important to Republican Jews are Bush's Israel policy and his resoluteness regarding the war on terrorism. Republican Jews believe a US withdrawal from Iraq under Kerry would pose a danger to Israel's existence. One group, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), has actively reached out to Jewish voters, questioning Democratic Jewish support for Kerry. After an Arab-American Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and a Muslim American PAC endorsed Kerry for president, the RJC released a statement cautioning Jewish voters on voting for Kerry. "The endorsements of John Kerry by these two anti-Israel groups speak volumes and should serve as a warning to Jewish Americans who think John Kerry is on their side. John Kerry's record on Israel is far from perfect," said RJC Executive Director Brooks. Meanwhile, Democrats have remained vigilant in their efforts to court Jewish voters in key battleground states such as Florida. Senator Kerry's brother, Cameron, a converted Jew, recently campaigned in a local retirement home in Florida where he spoke about his recent trip to Israel. Presidential hopeful Kerry also talked at length to Palm Beach Jewish voters, sometimes in Hebrew, referring particularly to an Israeli visit when he climbed to the top of Masada and yelled Am Yisrael Chai (the people of Israel live). He also mentioned his experience of flying an Israeli jet and his flawless 18-year voting record of complete support for Israel. The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the very influential pro-Israel lobbying organisation, has acknowledged "Kerry's 100 per cent pro-Israel voting record in the Senate." At the event, campaign bumper stickers and t- shirts were handed out with "Kerry-Edwards" in Hebrew. Democrats say that the Republican's efforts to sway Jewish voters to their side have failed, arguing that the Jewish vote is not up for grabs this election year, despite media reports to the contrary. "The overwhelming majority of American Jews will support Senator John Kerry, just as they have strongly supported the Democratic candidate in national elections dating back to the 1920s," said National Jewish Democratic Council Executive Director Ira N Forman. While Kerry may have a greater lead when it comes to Jewish votes, some believe it will be quite different for the Democrats this election year compared to 2000. "The Jews are heavily Democratic, but are unlikely to support Kerry to the same extent that they supported Gore," Benjamin Bishin, assistant professor of political science at the University of Miami, told Al-Ahram Weekly. With Lieberman as the first Jewish candidate on a major party presidential ticket, Al Gore won about 80 per cent of the Jewish vote in 2000. Bishin said that Joe Lieberman alone was responsible for bringing not only Democratic, but more Republican votes -- Orthodox Jewish voters in particular -- to Gore in the last election. "Bush has made a big push to be pro- Israel, and so voters who look only at that issue may be tempted to vote for him," Bishin told the Weekly. Contrary to numerous media reports, Bishin does not define the Jewish vote as a swing vote in this election. "Jews are Democrats whose votes, this year, are simply less reliable than they have been in the past."
