By: Toi Staff
WASHINGTON — Nearly half of Democrats disapprove of how US President Joe Biden is handling the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research — showing a deep divide within his party over the war that erupted with the Hamas terror group last month.
The poll found that 50 % of Democrats approve of how Biden has navigated the conflict while 46% disapprove — and the two groups diverge substantially in their views of US support for Israel. Biden’s support on the issue among Democrats is down slightly from August, as an AP-NORC poll conducted then found that 57% of Democrats approved of his handling of the general Israel-Palestinian conflict and 40% disapproved.
The October 7 Hamas attack by over 3,000 terrorists who invaded from the Gaza Strip killed some 1,400 people in Israel, the majority civilians. At least 240 people were abducted and taken hostage to Gaza. In response Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and see it removed from power in Gaza, where it has been in control since 2007. As the Israeli military strikes Gaza and presses on with a ground incursion, Hamas and other terror groups have rained rockets on Israeli population centers, causing more deaths and displacing some 200,000 people.
The developments have created a political tightrope for Biden, who has strongly supported Israel’s right to self-defense since the attack but also pressured Israel’s government to try to limit civilian casualties and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The war could complicate Biden’s reelection effort as he faces having to balance factions of his party with very different views on the conflict.
Nearly 7 in 10 Democrats who approve of Biden’s management of the conflict think the US provides the right amount of support to Israel currently. Of those who disapprove, 65% say the US is too supportive of Israel. That gap between Democrats who approve and those who disapprove has widened substantially since the poll conducted in August.
Of Democrats who approve of Biden’s handling of the conflict, 76% say Hamas has a lot of responsibility for the war and 32% say the same about the Israeli government, according to the AP-NORC poll taken this month. Democrats who disapprove of Biden’s handling of the conflict are equally likely to say that the Israeli government (56%) and Hamas (55%) have a lot of responsibility.
Majorities of Democrats younger than 45 (65%) and nonwhite Democrats (58%) say they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the conflict. Most Democrats 45 and older (67%) and white Democrats (62%) say they approve.
“Knowing that our tax money could be paying for the weapons that are murdering children by the thousands over there, it’s getting harder to be supportive of our president and our country in general,” said Brie Williamson, a 34-year-old Illinois resident. Williamson said she “couldn’t see voting for a Republican” but would consider other options next year.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/nearly-half-of-democrats-disapprove-of-bidens-response-to-israel-hamas-war-poll/