An increasing number of Americans are calling on Joe Biden to urge Israel to cease military actions in Gaza, and Mr. Biden’s handling of the situation has reached its lowest levels yet.
Prior to Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, a poll showed little public demand for U.S. military intervention against Iran in the event of an attack on Israel. Instead, more Americans would prefer U.S. support for Israel’s response.
Mr. Biden is under significant pressure within his own party regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Democrats showing increasing sympathy for both Palestinians and Israelis. His handling of the situation has especially lost favor among younger Americans.
Many Americans sympathize with both Israelis and Palestinians, with the percentage of Democrats expressing a lot of sympathy for Palestinians increasing since last fall.
While a majority of Americans across party lines sympathize at least somewhat with Israelis, the number of Democrats and independents supporting sending weapons and supplies to Israel has decreased compared to last October.
While there is an increase in support for sending humanitarian aid to Palestinians, most Republicans still oppose this.
Half of the country believes that the threat of terrorism will rise for both Israel and the U.S. due to the conflict.
Another potential issue for the president is that most Americans believe the U.S. government is not doing everything possible to bring American hostages home.
Lastly, the handling of this matter reflects on various aspects, including U.S. morals, principles, security, and strategic interests.
Biden’s overall approval — and declines among younger Americans
Despite the significance of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the economy remains a more critical issue politically for President Biden. His handling of the conflict is not as closely tied to his overall job approval as his management of the U.S. economy is.
Disapproval of Mr. Biden is more likely to stem from dissatisfaction with his economic management rather than his handling of the conflict.
Following the recent inflation report and subsequent stock market decline, optimism about the economy, which had been rising over the winter, has stalled. Views of economic growth have also plateaued.
Furthermore, when Americans dissatisfied with the country’s direction are asked for reasons, the economy is cited more often than wars and events abroad.
Mr. Biden’s overall approval rating remains relatively stable in the low 40s, but there has been a decline in approval among younger Americans.
There has also been a decrease in younger Americans’ approval of Mr. Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
This survey by CBS News/YouGov was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,399 U.S. adult residents interviewed between April 9-12, 2024. The sample was weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and past vote. The margin of error is ±2.6 points.
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