According to public opinion polls, 61% of Americans believe the Biden administration should not send weapons and ammunition to Israel, with 77% of Democratic voters sharing the same opinion. Support for Israel in American society is steadily declining. At the same time, there’s an emotional detachment from "Zionism" and Israel among young liberal Jews. The younger generation of American Jews is distancing themselves from the romanticized vision of Zionism. The biggest fear for Israel and the "Israel
According to public opinion polls, 61% of Americans believe the Biden administration should not send weapons and ammunition to Israel, with 77% of Democratic voters sharing the same opinion. Support for Israel in American society is steadily declining.
At the same time, there’s an emotional detachment from "Zionism" and Israel among young liberal Jews. The younger generation of American Jews is distancing themselves from the romanticized vision of Zionism. The biggest fear for Israel and the "Israel Lobby" is this emotional and ideological disconnect.
In the U.S., mass support for Israel mostly comes from a subgroup of "Christian Zionists" within the White Evangelical community. However, as you move from older to younger generations, support for Israel decreases. This spells trouble for Israel, as the White Evangelical population is shrinking. Religious demographic shifts show that Israel’s support base is weakening.
In a notable change, support for Israel is also being questioned among Democrats in Congress and young Democrats, which is both new and significant. These two trends are beginning to pressure the established pro-Israel policies of the Democratic Party.
Earlier, the Biden administration even limited the use of terms like "ceasefire" and "de-escalation" in official State Department statements. However, internal pressure influenced Biden to abandon this stance. Now, Biden is playing a new game: appearing to advocate for a ceasefire while continuing arms shipments that allow Netanyahu to undermine ceasefire efforts. Biden hasn’t given Netanyahu a reason to stop.
In addition to student movements shaking up campuses, labor unions, traditionally allies of the Democrats, are also calling for an end to arms shipments to Israel. Despite this, the Biden administration continues its military, political, and diplomatic support for Israel, which many see as fueling genocide. The growing gap between labor unions and Democrats is a new development.
After Israel began bombing Lebanon, the "United Electrical Workers Union (UE)" issued a statement urging Biden to cut off military aid to Israel immediately, highlighting how Israel is using billions of dollars in U.S. weapons and military funds to kill Lebanese civilians. In an interview with "Jacobin," union leader Carl Rosen emphasized the urgent need for a counter-force to pressure for a change in the policy of unconditional support for Israel, stating: "For decades, Israel has been our pit bull in the Middle East, and it's our responsibility to rein them in. The reason this hasn’t happened yet is due to internal political concerns and the interests of the military-industrial complex profiting from the deaths of tens of thousands."
Every U.S. President aims to complete their second term, and Biden had secured the Democratic nomination for re-election after facing off with primary challengers. However, due to intense backlash from major donors and the liberal mainstream media over concerns about his mental and physical capabilities, Biden was forced to withdraw from the race. Having dreamed of a second term, Biden may not be happy with Kamala Harris securing the Democratic nomination for President without facing a primary.
Continuing to send arms to Israel, not enforcing a ceasefire, and allowing Netanyahu to expand the war by attacking Lebanon weakens Harris’s position, as she needs to win key swing states to secure the presidency. Biden’s reluctance to pressure Israel into a ceasefire suggests he may not care much about Harris’s chances of winning. Additionally, the Bidens haven’t appeared at Harris’s campaign events, and Harris doesn’t seem to mind their absence.
Due to the delicate election dynamics, a ceasefire that stops Israel would be beneficial for Harris. Such a development could serve as an "October Surprise" that swings the election results in her favor. Conversely, Netanyahu escalating the war and driving up oil prices would benefit Trump. Whether Biden wants to help Kamala Harris is up for debate.
