11/01/2023

Biden’s Gaza Stance Spurs Decline in Arab American Support

Palestinian, Arab Americans express outrage over Biden’s response

In the weeks since Israel suffered the deadliest attack in its history, President Joe Biden has pledged his unfettered support to the country and its people. "President Biden loves Israel, loves the Israeli people, and has our back," Amir Tibon, an Israeli journalist who survived Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre, said following a meeting with the president earlier this month.

Not everyone feels the same. Back in the U.S., Palestinian and Arab Americans have expressed outrage over Biden’s response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has killed more than 8,000 people, more than a quarter of them children. The first national poll of Arab Americans since the war in Gaza began shows how deep that sense of betrayal goes, with only 17 percent of Arab American voters saying they will vote for Biden in 2024—a staggering drop from 59 percent in 2020. 

"This is the most dramatic shift over the shortest period of time that I’ve ever seen," said James Zogby, the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), which released the poll on Tuesday, to TIME.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.