Middle East conflict increases pressure on Biden campaign ahead of 2024 election

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is overshadowing President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, with both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel voters expressing concerns about the president's rhetoric and actions.

Biden is "trying to play both sides," said Ken Freedman told Just the News. "None of it works. It's like oil and water." Freedman serves as a broad member of JEXIT, a non-profit organization dedicated to urging Jews to exit the Democratic Party.

Muslim voters have also been critical of Biden's response to the conflict in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the kidnappings of 250 others. However, both Muslims and Jews increased criticism of Biden following the Iran attack on Israel over the weekend. 

Prior to the most recent attack, Biden warned Iran with a one-word statement: "Don't." The theocracy ignored him.

Although the U.S. and coalition forces helped Israel shoot down most of the more than 300 drones and missiles from Iran, Biden reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider the deflection a win, and he said that America will not assist in any counter-attack over concerns that it could cause a larger war. 

Although the rhetoric of Biden and other administration officials has been critical of Israel and supportive of a cease-fire, it is upsetting making Jewish and Muslim voters, both groups that have mainly voted Democratic in previous elections. 

JEXIT founder Michelle Terris said the Biden administration's actions have "empowered" far-left, anti-American and antisemitic activists in the U.S. She said she receives messages every day from former Jewish Democrats who have left the party, and

"We feel that the only way to stop and combat antisemitism in America is to vote for President Trump," Terris told Just the News. "That's where it's gotten to."

"The Administration’s response has been confined to words rather than a meaningful change in policy signaling to Israeli leadership that they can continue their defiance of US law prohibiting the use of American-made weapons on civilian populations," the Muslim Public Affairs Council said Tuesday. 

"Our government needs to call on the Israeli government to agree to a permanent and immediate ceasefire, ensuring humanitarian aid is delivered to innocent Palestinian civilians wounded and displaced by Israel’s ongoing military assaults," the group also said. 

"Biden is so afraid of losing Muslim voters in Michigan he is risking a world war," conservative activist Charlie Kirk said on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the politically influential Muslim population in Michigan after Iran launched its attack against Israel Saturday.

Furor grew after a Turkish diplomat told Reuters that the U.S. was aware of Iran's planned attack and that American officials told the Islamic Republic through Turkey to only take limited military action against Israel. The White House has denied the report, but it has not stopped speculation online that the U.S. allowed Iran to appease the Islamic Republic and Muslim voters.

"So Biden approved this strike in order to try and win Michigan. Got it. Jewish voters better be paying attention," conservative influencer Shawn Farash wrote in a post on X in response to the Reuters report.

Former President Donald Trump won Michigan in 2016 but lost the state to Biden by more than 150,000 votes in 2020. The state, which has 15 electors, is likely to pose problems for Biden this fall, after more than 100,000 people voted "Uncommitted" in Michigan's Democratic presidential primary in protest of his response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Although Associated Press exit polls indicated that 64% of Muslims voted for Biden in 2020, Muslim Democrats have become more vocal about their opposition to Biden's handling of the war. In October, a group of Muslim Democrats warned they would work against Biden in the 2024 election if a cease-fire was not reached. 

More than 4.4 million Muslims live in the U.S., constituting 1.3% of the population, according to the 2020 U.S. Religion Census. With significant Muslim communities in important swing states, the Biden campaign is likely feeling the heat ahead of the 2024 election.

"The Administration’s response has been confined to words rather than a meaningful change in policy signaling to Israeli leadership that they can continue their defiance of US law prohibiting the use of American-made weapons on civilian populations," the Muslim Public Affairs Council said Tuesday.

"Our government needs to call on the Israeli government to agree to a permanent and immediate ceasefire, ensuring humanitarian aid is delivered to innocent Palestinian civilians wounded and displaced by Israel’s ongoing military assaults."

Anger about Biden's handling of Israel extends beyond the Muslim American community. A poll released Sunday taken before Iran's attack on Israel shows that Biden is facing pressure from a substantial minority within his own party to take a less friendly stance toward the world's only Jewish-majority nation.

For example, 41% of Democrats said they would strongly or somewhat support stopping all U.S. aid to Israel, while 36% said they would somewhat or strongly oppose such a move, according to the Politico-Morning Consult poll. While independent voters remain a group for Biden to win in 2024, 29% said they would support stopping all U.S. aid to Israel while 44% are opposed.  

A plurality of Democrats (42%) say Biden is handling Israel "just right," compared to 19% of independents who say the same, but a large portion of both demographics – 33% of Democrats and 37% of independents – say Biden is "not tough enough" on Israel.

The poll, which has a 1% margin of error, was conducted April 5-7, 2024, with 6,004 registered voters.

However, Jewish voters, who have traditionally supported liberal candidates, are warning Democrats to not assume they have Jewish support. "Allow me to express a non-partisan word to all of our friends in elected office from the Democratic Party, from one who is finely attuned to the American Jewish sentiment: Do not take American Jews for granted. Be careful: The results of the upcoming election do not only depend on Michigan," New York Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said in a sermon last week.

Hirsch leads the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, which is described on its website as a "catalyst for progressive Jewish thought" and "committed social action."

Jews are also a large voting demographic, with an estimated 7.5 million Jews in the United States in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. 

Although 75% of Orthodox Jews support the Republican Party, most Reform Jews – 80% – support the Democratic party, according to a 2021 Pew poll. However, Reform constitutes the largest Jewish denomination, with 37% of Jews identifying with the branch. 

The dissatisfaction with Biden was reflected February in a Siena College poll of New York Jews, most of whom said they would vote for Trump over Biden at 53% to 44%.

The Biden campaign, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the National Muslim Democratic Council and the Jewish Democratic Council of America did not respond to requests for comment.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.