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Protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have erupted on college campuses across the country, sometimes degenerating into chaos and violence, but it is surprising that President Joe Biden has not embraced the protests in public. isn’t it.
After condemning some protests as excessive, Biden told reporters Thursday that the demonstrations had not caused him to reconsider his position on the war. That’s not only because he has long supported Israel, but also because he has historically been skeptical of protests in general.
Opinion polls show that pro-Palestinian protests are generally unpopular, despite widespread concern about Israel’s actions in the war.Recent Morning consultation According to the poll, 47% of voters support banning “pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus,” while 30% oppose it and 23% are unsure.
Opinion polls show Biden in a tight race with former President Donald Trump heading into a rematch in November, and the president and his campaign appear to be trying to limit electoral damage as much as possible. . It’s also worth noting that the college students participating in these protests are part of a demographic that would normally have difficulty voting on Election Day.
Biden’s protest weariness also fits within his larger political identity.
The president is part of a generation of Democrats who saw close ties with Israel as fundamental to U.S. foreign policy. During the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, he also distanced himself from the progressive activists and lawmakers who underpin much of his party’s criticism of Israel.
NBC News reports that compared to President Barack Obama, Biden was much more cautious in criticizing Israel during the 2014 war — and that conflict pales in comparison to the current war.
Even Biden’s roots have distanced him from the protests. Unlike other lawmakers of his generation, Mr. Biden has largely distanced himself from the Vietnam War protests that have roiled college campuses across the country.
“I was in law school,” Biden said of the Vietnam War protests, according to the New York Times. “I’m wearing a sports coat.”
It remains to be seen whether Biden will pay a price at the ballot box for his position. He already faces a growing electoral challenge from the no-commitment movement, with progressives, young voters, and Arab and Muslim American voters holding back on supporting Biden over supporting Israel. Ta.
The race between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump is close, and a vocal minority of young voters staying home could pose a major problem for the president.
But Americans traditionally don’t fixate their votes on foreign policy issues. Both past and current polls show voters are far more concerned about the economy.
Recent CBS News-YouGov poll Of the 10 potential issues, Michigan voters appear to think the war between Israel and Hamas is the least likely to be a major factor in deciding which candidate they support. The most important issues so far have been the economy and inflation.
This trend remains true among young voters. Harvard University Youth Poll Across the country, 18- to 29-year-olds felt the war was far less important to voters than inflation or health care.