Biden confronts party division on Hamas-Israel conflict.
President Joe Biden’s response to the recent Hamas-Israel conflict has put him in a delicate political position, with divisions emerging within his own Democratic Party. While his initial show of support for Israel aligns with American public opinion, the dynamics within the party could become increasingly complex if the war drags on.
Initial polls indicate that a majority of Americans sympathize with Israel in the aftermath of a devastating Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that claimed the lives of at least 1,500 civilians, including 32 Americans.
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The president’s strong support for Israel and his personal visit to the country have largely mirrored this sentiment. President Biden is performing “brilliantly” in a difficult moment and demonstrating “moral leadership,” according to Ann Lewis, a Democrat strategist who served as White House communications director in the Clinton administration.
However, Brian Seitchik, a Republican strategist, points to a widening schism within the Democratic Party, owing to the anti-Israel stance of hard-left progressives. “The Democrats are certainly divided over Israel. There is a very strong anti-Israel, antisemitic faction that exists in the Democratic Party,” Mr. Seitchik told The Epoch Times.
The recent resignation of Josh Paul, a former State Department official, in protest of President Biden’s response to the Hamas-Israel conflict reflected the frustration within some quarters of Washington.
In addition, some progressive members of the Democratic Party, part of the “Squad,” have called for an end to violence and urged the president to stop sending aid to Israel. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) has criticized the administration’s response to the conflict, delivering an emotional speech expressing her dissent.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) also criticized U.S. foreign policy, advocating for an end to “support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid.” She is leading House progressives with the Ceasefire Now Resolution, calling for de-escalation of the conflict and humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
A United Party?
According to Mark Mellman, a Democrat pollster and strategist, the vast majority of the public and congressional Democrats back President Biden on Israel, making the opposition from some progressive members irrelevant for the time being.
“For now, at least, the president has a unified party behind him. They’re unified in their support for Israel and unified in their understanding of the need to remove Hamas from power. And that could change over time,” he told The Epoch Times.
Foreign policy, Mr. Mellman says, is virtually never a dominant issue in an election cycle, especially when there are no Americans on the battlefield.
The White House did not mince words in responding to progressive lawmakers who blamed Israel following the Hamas attacks. “We’re going to continue to be very clear: We believe they are wrong, we believe they’re repugnant, and we believe they’re disgraceful,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Oct. 11.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also made a surprise move by breaking with his progressive allies and siding with the president. He rejected calls for a ceasefire.
He also took aim at progressive members of the House for blaming Israel for the recent hospital bombing in Gaza, calling their actions “truly disturbing.” He said he believes that Senate Democrats are united on Israel.
According to a new CNN poll, about 71 percent of Americans sympathize with the Israeli people following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and believe that the Israeli government’s military response was justifiable.
Some believe, however, that if the conflict continues, support for Israel could dwindle quickly, particularly among Democrats. Support for Palestinians
Republican political strategist Ford O’Connell said the strong support for Palestinians among Democrat voters could pose a problem for President Biden in the long run.
Democrats have grown increasingly sympathetic to Palestinians during the last decade, he said, citing a Gallup poll in March that showed 49 percent of Democrats sympathized with Palestinians, compared to 38 percent who sympathized with Israelis.
In contrast, 11 percent of Republicans and 32 percent of independents expressed sympathy for Palestinians in the March survey.
“I think part of the reason we’re at this war is because, unfortunately, how naive the Biden administration has been about Iran,” Mr. O’Connell said. “I mean, the world is literally on fire.”
If the conflict between Israel and Hamas is not resolved quickly, he added, President Biden will “have a real mess on his hands politically.”
Mr. Seitchik concurred, adding that anti-Israel sentiment within the Democratic Party could alienate pro-Israel voters, including those in key swing states like Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin, as well as GOP-leaning Florida.
Another poll by the Wall Street Journal/Ipsos conducted after the Hamas attack shows an upsurge in support for Israel in its longstanding conflicts with Palestinians.
A substantial 42 percent of respondents believe the United States should side with Israel, marking a record high dating back to 2002, while only 3 percent believe it should take the Palestinians’ side.
Favorable views of both the Israeli people and their government have increased in this latest survey, although younger Americans, a crucial part of the Democrat base, exhibit less support for Israel compared with older generations.
The ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict poses a potential political challenge for President Biden. If the crisis persists without resolution, he could face difficulties both within his party and in garnering support from certain segments of the electorate, especially those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause.
What impact do opinion polls suggesting majority American support for Israel have on President Biden’s handling of the conflict, and how does this align with the dynamics within the Democratic Party?
Delicate political position that President Joe Biden finds himself in due to divisions within his own Democratic Party regarding his response to the recent Hamas-Israel conflict. While initially showing support for Israel, which aligns with American public opinion, the dynamics within the party could become increasingly complex if the war continues.
Opinion polls suggest that a majority of Americans sympathize with Israel in the aftermath of a devastating Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,500 civilians, including 32 Americans.
President Biden’s strong support for Israel, including his personal visit to the country, has largely reflected this sentiment. According to Ann Lewis, a Democratic strategist and former White House communications director, President Biden is handling the situation “brilliantly” and demonstrating “moral leadership.”
However, Republican strategist Brian Seitchik highlights a growing divide within the Democratic Party due to the anti-Israel stance of hard-left progressives. He claims that there is a strong anti-Israel, antisemitic faction within the party. This division was further highlighted by the resignation of former State Department official Josh Paul in protest of President Biden’s response to the conflict.
Progressive members of the Democratic Party, such as the so-called “Squad,” have called for an end to violence and urged the president to stop sending aid to Israel. Rep. Rashida Tlaib has criticized the administration’s response, delivering an emotional speech expressing her dissent. Rep. Cori Bush has also criticized U.S. foreign policy, advocating for an end to support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid. She is leading House progressives with the Ceasefire Now Resolution, which calls for de-escalation and humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Despite these divisions, Democrat pollster and strategist Mark Mellman believes that the majority of the public and congressional Democrats support President Biden on Israel, making opposition from progressive members irrelevant at the moment. He notes that foreign policy is rarely a dominant issue in elections, especially when there are no Americans directly involved in the conflict.
The White House has strongly responded to progressive lawmakers blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks, stating that they believe these claims are wrong, repugnant, and disgraceful. Senator John Fetterman broke with his progressive allies and sided with the president, rejecting calls for a ceasefire and criticizing progressive House members for blaming Israel for the hospital bombing in Gaza.
Recent polls indicate that approximately 71 percent of Americans sympathize with the Israeli people and believe that Israel’s military response was justifiable. However, if the conflict continues, support for Israel could wane quickly, particularly among Democrats. Republican political strategist Ford O’Connell suggests that support for Palestinians may increase as the conflict persists.
In conclusion, President Joe Biden’s response to the Hamas-Israel conflict has sparked divisions within his own Democratic Party. While initially showing support for Israel in line with public opinion, the dynamics within the party could become more complex if the war continues.
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