(IsraelNN.com) A new American Jewish Committee (AJC) survey of American Jews shows that for the first time, a majority of them would support a U.S military strike against Iran, and an even larger majority would support such a move by Israel.

The AJC survey showed that 56 percent of American Jews would support, and 36 percent would oppose, United States military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. This is a real shift from 2008, when the AJC survey found that 42 percent would support the U.S. taking military action against Iran, while 47 percent were opposed.

66 percent would support, and 28 percent would oppose, Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

On the Obama Administration’s general handling of the Iran nuclear issue, 49 percent of American Jews approve and 35 percent disapprove.

Mounting concern
“Clearly concerns are mounting over the international community’s apparent inability to deploy tough and resolute sanctions to confront a belligerent Iran determined to build nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris.

94 percent of American Jews agree that the Palestinians should be “required to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in a final peace agreement.”

Distrust of the Arabs is high but slightly lower than it was in 2007: 75 percent agree, and 19 percent disagree, with the statement, “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel.” In the 2007 survey, 82 percent agreed and 12 percent disagreed.

Nonetheless, regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state, 49 percent favor that outcome, and 41 percent are opposed. In AJC’s 2007 survey, 46 percent were in favor and 43 percent opposed.

A united, Jewish Jerusalem
When asked whether Israel, in the framework of a permanent peace with the Palestinians, should be willing to compromise on the status of Jerusalem as a united city under Israeli jurisdiction, 37 percent are in favor, and 58 percent opposed. These numbers are almost unchanged from 2007.

Fifty-four percent of U.S. Jews approve, and 32 percent disapprove, of the Obama Administration’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations. Meanwhile, 59 percent approve, and 23 percent disapprove, of the Netanyahu government’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations.

Denominational affiliation appears to be a key factor in determining attitudes. While majorities of Conservative (54 percent) and Reform Jews (59 percent) approve, only 14 percent of Orthodox Jews approve of the Obama Administration’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations.

The pollsters said that the survey's 800 respondents “are representative of the United States adult Jewish population on a variety of measures.” The margin of error from the sample as a whole is plus or minus 3 percentage points.