Why Israel dominates US politics while Iowa voters focus on the economy and border

By John Damon

Israel is a constant topic in Washington and on the campaign trail, but for most Iowans and Americans, it barely registers as a voting priority. Poll after poll shows that domestic issues like the economy, immigration, and public safety consistently top voter concerns, while foreign policy, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ranks near the bottom.

This disconnect raises an important question: Why do politicians spend so much time talking about Israel when voters are focused on what happens at home?

What voters actually care about

According to a 2024 Gallup poll, when registered voters were asked an open-ended question about the most important factor in their vote, the top issues were the economy, immigration, abortion, preserving democracy, and disliking a candidate. No foreign policy positions made the list.

An AP-NORC poll from late 2025 found that only 2% of respondents mentioned Israel or Palestine as a priority for the government in 2026. By contrast, 4% cited Ukraine, and domestic concerns dominated the responses.

A Marquette Law School poll earlier this year showed that 16% of respondents cited the war in Iran as their most important issue, but that survey was conducted during active hostilities that directly involved the United States. Months earlier, before the conflict, only 1% of respondents named Ukraine as their top priority.

Even Jewish voters aren't focused on Israel

Despite the outsized attention Israel receives in political discourse, even Jewish voters do not rank it as a top electoral priority. A national survey this year found that only 17% of Jewish voters named Israel as one of their two top issues. A full 83% said a candidate's position on Israel was not a dealbreaker.

During New York City's mayoral race, Jewish voters said domestic issues like abortion, the economy, and immigration were more important than Israel or antisemitism.

Micah Lasher, a Jewish Democrat who won a primary in New York City last month, summed up the frustration: 'I am not obsessed with Israel, and I worry, sometimes, that our political dialogue and the political dialogue in this race is obsessed with Israel.'

The power of primaries

So why does Israel dominate political conversation? The answer lies in primary elections. Low-turnout primaries allow a small, motivated base to wield outsized influence. In New York's 13th District, for example, only about 7% of active Democrats voted for the far-left primary winner Darializa Avila Chevalier, who made anti-Israel rhetoric central to her campaign.

Three far-left candidates defeated more moderate opponents in New York City Democratic primaries last month. These candidates used Israel as a wedge issue, hammering their opponents over ties to the Jewish state, even though all three moderates were firm critics of the Israeli government.

'In deeply blue districts in Democratic primaries, DSA candidates have used the issue of Israel to divide voters. They have tried to capitalize on it to win over the left,' said Halie Soifer, head of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

Rep. Dan Goldman, who lost his primary, said after the race that Israel was 'a focus of my opponent. It was a focus of the media. It was not as much of a focus of certainly the families who are struggling day to day.'

What this means for Iowa

For Iowa voters, the message is clear: The national conversation on Israel does not reflect local priorities. Iowa's Republican leaders, including Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Chuck Grassley, have consistently focused on issues that matter to Iowans: economic growth, agricultural policy, energy independence, border security, and parental rights in education.

Democratic candidates in competitive areas, like Josh Turek in Iowa, have not prioritized Israel in their campaigns, according to Soifer. This suggests that even within the Democratic Party, the anti-Israel focus is a niche strategy that does not resonate in broader electorates.

A matter of identity

Shibley Telhami, a political scientist at the University of Maryland, argues that Israel has become more than a foreign policy issue for many Americans. 'Israel has come to be kind of a symbolic identity issue in a way that wouldn't show up in polls when you're asking people what their priorities are,' he said.

For some voters, Israel is tied to broader concerns about war, government spending, and American identity. 'When they say, 'the economy,' Israel is built into it. When they say, 'I don't want to be dragged into another war,' Israel is built into it,' Telhami explained.

This dynamic helps explain why politicians talk about Israel even when voters don't list it as a priority. For a small but vocal segment of the electorate, particularly on the far left, Israel is a litmus test that can swing a primary election.

But for the vast majority of Iowans and Americans, the focus remains on kitchen-table issues: jobs, safety, education, and the cost of living. As the 2026 midterms approach, voters should expect candidates to address what matters most at home, not what dominates cable news.