NY Times Poll: Voters Divided on Israel; Disapprove of Biden’s Handling of Gaza

Voters are not happy with President Joe Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College. There is almost an even split among voters on whether Israel should continue its military campaign or stop it to prevent further civilian casualties in Gaza.

Particularly, voters aged 18-29, who typically support Democrats, strongly disagree with how Biden is managing the Gaza conflict, with nearly 75% disapproving.

The poll also shows that former President Donald Trump’s popularity among younger voters has increased. More young voters now say they would choose Trump over Biden, a reversal from July when these same voters supported Biden by 10%.

Voter opinions on U.S. policy towards the Gaza conflict are divided, with almost equal numbers of Americans wanting Israel to continue its military campaign and wanting it to stop to avoid further civilian casualties.

It is evident from the poll that Biden might struggle to retain the voter base that helped elect him in 2020. The survey found that Trump is leading Biden by 46% to 44%, marking a decrease in Biden’s job approval rating to 37% from 39% in July.

Despite the Gaza situation being a concern for voters, the economy remains their main worry. However, the economy’s ranking as a major issue has dropped from 45% in July to 34% in the recent poll.

44% of potential voters think Israel should terminate its campaign in Gaza due to civilian deaths, while 39% believe Israel should continue its military campaign even if the casualties increase.

When it comes to Israel’s goal of securing the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 or eliminating Hamas altogether, the poll shows that the numbers are almost the same.

The poll revealed that many younger voters are critical of Israel, believing that the country is not serious about reaching peace with the Palestinians. They accuse Israel of intentional civilian killings and a lack of precaution to prevent civilian deaths, with most opposing providing more economic or military aid to Israel.

Additionally, nearly half of the potential voters, across all age groups, believe that Israel is not taking enough care to avoid killing civilians in Gaza.

There is also a partisan divide observed regarding Israel, with 75% of Republicans sympathizing with Israel, 80% of white evangelical Christians supporting Israel, and 31% of Democrats siding with Israel, 34% sympathizing with the Palestinians, and 16% supporting both sides.

The poll’s findings may affect Jewish voters who sided with Biden in 2020, particularly in light of the rise in anti-Semitism during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The survey involved 1,016 registered voters in English and Spanish and took place on Dec. 10-14.