Nearly half of Democrats disapprove of Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war: AP-NORC poll

Washington, Nov 9: Nearly half of Democrats disapprove of how 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. The poll found 50 per cent of Democrats approve of how Biden has navigated the conflict while 46 per cent 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 per cent of Democrats approved of his handling of the conflict and 40 per cent disapproved.
The October 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,400 people and Israel’s responding incursion into Gaza have created a political tightrope for Biden, who has supported Israeli sovereignty since the attack but also pressured Israel’s government to try to limit civilian casualties and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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 and who is ultimately responsible.
Nearly 7 in 10 Democrats approving of Biden’s management of the conflict think the US provides the right amount of support to Israel currently. Of those who disapprove, 65 per cent 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 per cent say Hamas has a lot of responsibility for the war and 32 per cent 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 per cent) and Hamas (55 per cent) have a lot of responsibility. Majorities of Democrats younger than 45 (65 per cent) and nonwhite Democrats (58 per cent) say they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the conflict. Most Democrats 45 and older (67 per cent) and white Democrats (62 per cent) say they approve. (AP)