Lets Talk
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Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago An initiative of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) & The Communications Department Created by Lisa Pevtzow and Josie Aaronson- Gelb Talking Effectively About Israel
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Transcript of Lets Talk
Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago An initiative of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
& The Communications Department
Created by Lisa Pevtzow and Josie Aaronson-Gelb
Talking Effectively About Israel
What works…
…and what doesn’t
PEACE & SECURITY
U.S. SUPPORT
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Tactical Action Steps Towards Peace
POLITICAL ADVOCACY MEDIA PUBLIC OPINION
Four Decades of American Public Opinion
“In the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with Israel or with the Palestinians?”
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
(1960s) (1970s) (1980s) (1990s) (2000) (2004)
42% 46% 50% 48%
10%15% 14% 13%
18%
52%
PALESTINIANS
Gallup Polls
American Sympathies
53%
5%
(Late)
ISRAEL
(2005)
Four Decades of American Public Opinion
Four to one, Americans sympathize with Israel over the Palestinians
Israel is a democracy that shares American
values
79% of Americans Agree…
Greenberg 10/02 for The Israel Project
Israel is one of America’s
strongest allies
76% of Americans Agree…
Greenberg 10/02 for The Israel Project
Israel is only trying to
protect its citizens
70% of Americans Agree…
Greenberg 10/02 for The Israel Project
58% of Americans Agree…
Israel is willing to
compromise for peace
Greenberg 10/02 for The Israel Project
American View of the Palestinian Authority (PA)
2. 54%: believe PA supports American enemies
3. 38%: believe PA breaks commitments to make peace
4. 32%: believe PA is an obstacle to peace
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
American View of the Palestinian Authority
Gallup Poll
1. 75%: view PA unfavorably
PEACE & SECURITY
U.S. SUPPORT
POLITICAL ADVOCACY MEDIA PUBLIC OPINION
Tactical Action Steps Towards Peace
EDUCATED, MOBILIZED,
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Our Biggest Obstacle:
American Voters Who Say They Know Someone Who Is Jewish
52% (approximately 130 million people)
Know a Jewish Person
Don’t Know a Jewish Person
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
“No one is talking to me.”
“Please talk to me.”
This is what these voters say…
74
%
64
%
Public Opinion Strategies 11/03 Poll for The Israel Project
96 million people 83 million people
Jews Aren’t Talking!
52%
Jews Aren’t Talking!
130 million people
What should we be saying?
Israel Wants Peace
#1 Message
Supplementary Messages
Link Israel and America
Israel is America’s Ally
Against Terrorism
Main Messages to Build Support Linking Israel and America
Israel & America’s shared values: democracy, freedom, security and peace
Main Messages to Build Support Linking Israel and America
Religious Freedom
Israeli & American Values:
Women’s Rights
Israeli & American Values:
Equality
Israeli & American Values:
Express Compassion for the Palestinians
Hot Button Issues
The Fence
Which argument works best about the fence?
#1
“The security fence is needed because there have been more than 250 Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens over the past three years. A fence is
needed to keep the terrorists out and protect innocent Israeli citizens.”
Which argument works best about the fence?
#2
“The security fence is not the real issue – in 2000, Israel offered to give the Palestinians all of Gaza, more
than 90% of the West Bank and create a Palestinian state in exchange for peace, but Yasser Arafat rejected
this offer.”
Which argument works best about the fence?
#3
“When Palestinian leaders disarm and arrest terrorists and dismantle their organizations, then a fence won’t
be needed. Until that time, Israel has the right to protect its citizens from attacks.”
Three Convincing Arguments in Support of the Fence
1. The security fence is needed because there have been more than 250 Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens over the past three years. A fence is needed to keep the terrorist out and protect innocent Israeli citizens: 60%
2. The security fence is not the real issue – in 2000, Israel offered to give the Palestinians all of Gaza, more than 90% of the West Bank and create a Palestinian state in exchange for peace, but Yasser Arafat rejected this offer: 59%
3. When Palestinian leaders disarm and arrest terrorists and dismantle their organizations, then a fence won’t be needed. Until that time, Israel has the right to protect its citizens from attacks: 74%
Public Opinion Strategies 7/03 Poll for The Israel Project
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
American Public Opinion
Hot Button Issues
The FenceThe Settlements
“The Jewish settlements in the West Bank provide a security buffer to help keep Israel’s
population safe from terrorists.”
Which argument works best about the Settlements?
#1
“The settlements are not the real issue. In 2000, Israel
offered to dismantle settlements and create a
Palestinian State in exchange for peace, but Arafat rejected
this offer.”
Which argument works best about the Settlements?
#2
“The settlements are not the real issue. In 2000, Israel
offered to dismantle settlements and create a
Palestinian State in exchange for peace, but Arafat rejected this offer. The Palestinians
won’t stop until they have all of Israel.”
Which argument works best about the Settlements?
#3
The argument that Israel has offered to dismantle settlements in the past but was rejected by Arafat has
considerably more traction than other arguments
1. These Jewish settlements in the West Bank provide a security buffer to help keep Israel’s population safe from terrorists: 43%
2. The settlements are not the real issue. Two years ago, Israel offered to dismantle settlements and create a Palestinian State in exchange for peace, but Arafat rejected this offer: 88%
3. The settlements are not the real issue. Two years ago, Israel offered to dismantle settlements and create a Palestinian State in exchange for peace, but Arafat rejected this offer. The Palestinians won’t stop until they have all of Israel: 72%
Public Opinion Strategies 4/03 Poll for The Israel Project
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
American Public Opinion
Building support for Israelamong America’s diverse
population
Teenagers, College Students, 20-Somethings.
1. They have a different historical frame of reference– don’t assume their context is the same as yours.
2. They are a globally minded group who hate terrorists– talk to them about Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
3. They want to feel hope– convey optimism.
4. They especially value peace– stress that Israel continues to search for a non-violent solution.
Luntz Study
Secrets To Successful Communication
• Keep it simple.
• Be optimistic.
• Stay calm, use reason and logic.
• Use rhetorical questions.
Do…
Secrets To Successful Communication
• Don’t be anti-Palestinian. • Don’t take sides in Israel’s internal politics.• Don’t assert that Israel is perfect. • Don’t use religious justification to explain Israeli
policies.• Don’t specifically link 9-11 with terror against
Israelis.
Don’t…
Secrets To Successful Communication
Don’t argue. Discuss.
Put a human face on it…
An initiative mobilizing the Jewish community to strengthenpublic support for Israel
Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago An initiative of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
& The Communications Department
Created by Lisa Pevtzow and Josie Aaronson-Gelb
Talking Effectively About Israel
