(RepublicanReport.org) – In October 2023, the extremist group Hamas launched a coordinated attack against the Israeli people, killing about 1,200 and kidnapping hundreds. Since then, the country has been retaliating in an attempt to eliminate Hamas members for good. However, that fight has resulted in over 35,000 civilian casualties in Gaza, sparking strong reactions from the United States.
Recently, a Reuters/Ipsos poll was released from the second week of May. The survey of over 3,200 registered voters showed 44% of Democrats disapproved of the way President Joe Biden was handling the conflict. Only 34% overall said they approved of the president’s response, including 31% of Independents, 53% of Democrats, and 22% of Republicans asked. Strategist Douglas Schoen looked at the poll, stating the “issue is a stone-cold loser for Biden.”
Another poll from Reuters/Ipsos showed Biden and former President Donald Trump in a dead heat for the White House, meaning the president can’t afford to lose voters heading into the election. The survey ran for over a week toward the end of April.
Controversy has been brewing in the United States about the support of Israel — a close US ally. Biden recently withheld one shipment of bombs as he didn’t want the offensive weapons used in Rafah. The southern Gaza region is where about a million Palestinians are taking refuge from the war. However, Israel said Hamas members are likely also hiding there. The president insisted that the Israeli government do more to lessen civilian casualties, stating the full invasion of Rafah was his red line. That stance follows pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the nation, calling for an end to what they refer to as genocide.
Biden’s tow-the-line approach of supporting Israel with defensive weapons while pressuring Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu to change his strategy doesn’t seem to be helping him with voters. With six months left until November, the impact of his decisions on the outcome is unclear.
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