The release this month by the American Jewish Committee of its annual survey of American Jewish opinion generated a few headlines with its finding that Hillary Clinton was the favorite contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination. A few newspapers, especially in Israel, delved into a few other notable findings.

For one, the past year saw a slight decline in the percentage of Jews who feel “very close” to Israel, to 30% in 2007 from 37% in 2006. For another, the issue most often selected as the most important in choosing a president next year was “the economy and jobs” at 22%, in contrast to the war in Iraq, cited by just 16%.

Largely unreported were a host of other findings, from immigration reform (an overwhelming 67% favored giving illegals a pathway to citizenship) and energy independence (82% called it “very important”) to increasingly gloomy views of the prospects for peace in the Middle East.

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One of the survey’s most intriguing findings, however, went entirely unnoticed. Asked about the issues that will determine their presidential vote next year, a strong plurality of 42% picked either “economy and jobs” or “health care,” the two domestic economic choices offered. By contrast, only 36% picked one of the three Middle East-related suggestions, the war in Iraq (16%), “terrorism and national security” (14%) or “support for Israel” (6%).

Trailing far behind were the survey’s noneconomic domestic choices, immigration (6%), the “energy crisis” (6%) and education (4%). Global warming and the environment were not among the choices, nor was the future of the Supreme Court.

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