Arab-American Voters Turn Away from Biden on Israel Policy, 59%→17%

Competition in States like Michigan and Ohio Attracts a Large Arab Population
White House: “Consider Ceasefire Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict”

As President Joe Biden fully supports Israel in its war with Hamas, his approval rating is plummeting among Arab Americans. The progressive-leaning people of color, traditionally a stronghold for the Democratic Party, could pose a threat to Biden’s re-election bid if they turn away. According to a poll by the Arab American Institute (AAI) released on May 31 (local time), only 17.4% of the 500 Arab Americans surveyed said they would vote for Biden if the election were held today. This represents a 42-point decrease from 2020, when 59% of Arab-Americans supported Biden.

In the same survey, support for former President Donald Trump was at 40%, independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. at 13.7%, and independent candidate Cornel West at 3.8%. The response “I don’t know” accounted for 25.1%. Support for Trump increased by 5 points compared to 2020, and support for third-party candidates (Kennedy and West) increased by 13 points. This suggests that Arab-American voters who have turned away from Biden have shifted more towards ‘third-party candidates’ than to Trump.

Biden’s Middle East diplomacy was generally poorly rated. 67% of respondents negatively evaluated ‘Biden’s response to the current violence between Israel and Palestine.’ 68% of respondents opposed U.S. arms support to Israel.

The AAI predicted that this situation could affect the election, noting that states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, swing states in next year’s election, have a large Arab-American population. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, “Facing re-election next year, President Biden is facing fierce backlash from Muslim and Arab-American voters for not criticizing Israel’s indiscriminate airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, among other reasons.”

Meanwhile, the White House stated on the same day that Israel and Hamas should consider a temporary ceasefire. Since May 27, the Israeli military has been deploying ground forces and advancing into the city in the Gaza Strip. John Kirby, the National Security Council’s (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said, “It’s not the time for a general ceasefire,” but added, “A humanitarian temporary ceasefire could be valuable.”

By. Yoon Hong Woo