Daybreak: Political Tests

• Pollster Mark Mellman explicates the Jewish affinity for Democrats while hammering home that “[s]upport for Israel is a critical element of Jews’ voting behavior.” [The Hill]
• Which doesn’t always favor the liberals—an editorial from a left-leaning Orthodox Jew worries that “far-right European politicians are being seen as kosher by some Jewish leaders as they are ‘pro-Israel’.” [Ynet]
• Pressure from Libya has persuaded the U.N. Security Council to move a discussion of the Goldstone Report from October 20 to 14. [Reuters]
• U.S. envoy George Mitchell plans to keep pushing for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians despite deep reluctance from both sides; for example, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman commented that Mitchell is “spreading illusions and in the end brings disappointment.” [Reuters]
• Influential mathematician Israel Gelfand has died at 96; Gelfand, who emigrated from the Soviet Union, where, as a Jew, his career was compromised, is described by a colleague as “the last of the greatest.” [NYT]