SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump sent a clear message to Gaza after violence there this weekend left more than 20 people dead: Leave Israel alone.
His Sunday evening tweets on the topic wouldn't surprise those who have been following his presidency. Throughout his time in office, he's expressed support for Israel through words and actions, regularly blaming Palestinian leaders for the lack of peace in the region.
What may be surprising is that U.S. Jews are split over Trump's pro-Israel tweets and policies. A new analysis from Pew Research Center shows that many American Jews want him to adopt a more balanced approach.
"Roughly 4 in 10 (42 percent) say they think Trump is favoring the Israelis too much, while a similar share (47 percent) say he is striking the right balance between the Israelis and Palestinians," Pew reported.
U.S. Christians, on the other hand, are clearly supportive of Trump's relationship with Israel and the Palestinian territories. Nearly 60 percent of this faith group say he's struck the right balance, compared to 26 percent who say Trump favors the Israelis too much, according to Pew.
The differences between Jewish and Christian reactions can be explained, in part, by partisanship, researchers said, noting that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support Trump's approach to the region.
Most Christian groups lean Republican, while more than 60 percent of Jews identify as or lean Democratic, according to an earlier Pew analysis.
Trump's supporters are hoping to change that latter figure in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. They've called for a "Jexodus" (Jewish exodus) from the Democratic Party, arguing that Democrats don't do enough to address anti-Semitism and emphasizing Trump's bold, Israel-related policy moves.
"Republicans are waiting with open arms," Trump tweeted on March 15.
Beyond expressing support for Israel amid surges of violence in the region, Trump has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the American embassy there from Tel Aviv. His administration also shut down its Jerusalem Consulate General in March, limiting how Palestinians can communicate with U.S. officials in the future, as NPR reported.
Palestinians believe the shift signaled that "the U.S. is set on dealing primarily with Israel" in peace negotiations, the article noted.
American Jews had a mixed reaction to many of these changes. Although around 70 percent feel "very" or "somewhat" attached to Israel, many members of this community worry that Trump's bold moves will lead to more bloodshed.
"Jerusalem has always been the most delicate issue in every discussion about peace," said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, to The New York Times after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "We're very concerned that (Trump's) announcement will either delay or undermine the very, very important resuming of a serious peace process."
Jerusalem is religiously significant to Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Deseret News reported in 2017. These faith groups compete for control of and access to sacred sites.
Other American Jews have hailed Trump has a hero. Attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition's April convention changed the lyrics of a traditional Jewish song for Passover to honor him.
"The amount of support that this president is getting in the Jewish community is growing exponentially," said Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the time.
Pew's analysis shows that the Jewish community remains divided on Trump, confirming political experts' sense that a large-scale "Jexodus" from the Democratic Party is unlikely.
"Jewish voters have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats for decades; the numbers during the presidential elections are particularly stark. About 80 percent of Jewish voters have cast their ballots for the Democrat in elections dating back to 1992," The Washington Post reported earlier this year.