In the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, Joe Biden's public support for Israel has been a thorn in the side of the antisemitic wing of the Democratic Party. Since Israel has taken the fight to Hamas, Joe Biden has been under pressure to not only provide aid to Gaza (and thus Hamas) but to support a ceasefire. Joe Biden hasn't exactly been a friend to Israel, but that doesn't seem to matter to pro-Hamas Democrats.
Public support of Biden's handling of the war has bipartisan disapproval, and there's likely little he can do to please both sides. But now Michigan Democrats are sounding the alarm, and warning him that his failure to support a ceasefire could cost him the state in the 2024 election. According to a report from Politico, Biden's team "doesn’t appreciate the depths of discontent from Arab American and young voters over Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war." A protest vote in the state's primary is planned for next week, but even that "won’t give them the wakeup call that’s needed."
Related: Joe Biden Is No Friend to Israel
“I’m still surprised that they’re not taking this more seriously,” said state Sen. Darrin Camilleri, who supports a ceasefire. “I feel like this is 2016 all over again. It feels like our national party is not listening to our issues on the ground. If the president doesn’t change course, I would not be surprised if Biden loses the state [in November].”
Trump currently has an average lead of +4.6 points in Michigan, according to the polls tracked by RealClearPolitics.
Politico continues:
A Democratic strategist in the state, who backs Biden and was granted anonymity to speak candidly, echoed those fears. Democrats, the strategist said, “are in trouble” because “every day, as violence in Gaza continues, getting those voters back becomes more of a challenge for Biden.”
Next week’s primary in Michigan is likely to provide the most telling X-ray to date of just how fractured the Democratic Party is over Israel and Biden’s presidency writ-large. Michigan, which was elevated to the early nominating window by Biden last year, represents a cross-section of base Democratic voters, from union households to a large Black voting bloc.
But poll after poll show clear warning signs for Biden with his base. And those most animated by the Israel-Hamas conflict are organizing a campaign to register discontent over the policy by asking voters to vote “uncommitted” in the primary next week.
“If they’re not going to be moved because of the humanity of the Palestinian people, then perhaps they’ll view things differently when there’s a political calculus they have to make,” state Rep. Abraham Aiyash warned. “Michigan is a state that swung from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, and not by significant numbers, so we have to recognize that there are still a lot of voters who feel frustrated.”
Clearly, the stakes are very high for Biden, and he arguably can't afford to alienate the antisemitic wing of his party any more than he can afford to alienate Jewish Democrats. According to a new Siena College poll, a majority of Jewish voters in New York state, 53%, plan to support Trump in the presidential election—an unprecedented amount considering Jews traditionally vote Democrat. Which constituency will Biden ultimately side with?
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