To start, most Jews don’t determine their votes on the basis of policy toward Israel. In early 2012, a poll from the Public Religion Research Institute found that just 4 percent of Jewish registered voters considered Israel the most important issue.

This doesn’t mean it isn’t at all a factor, but generally economic and social issues tend to be more important to Jewish voters, and they tend to side with Democrats on those issues.

Additionally, many Jews who say they support Israel have a definition of what it means to support Israel that makes it easier for them to justify standing by Obama and Democrats. For instance, in a Pew poll taken in 2013, majorities of Jewish Democrats tended to think that a two-state solution was possible and that the construction of settlements hurt Israeli security.