Youth could shy away from Biden in election over handling of Gaza: NBC

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: NBC News
7 Nov 2023 21:10
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The Biden administration's policies on the Israeli occupation are jeopardizing it due to growing unpopularity among younger voters.

Anti-war activists protest outside of the White House during a pro-Palestinian demonstration asking for a cease-fire in Gaza in Washington, November 4, 2023 (AP)

In an open letter addressed to US President Joe Biden, leaders of progressive groups dedicated to mobilizing young voters have issued a warning that his handling of the genocide in Gaza could lead to decreased turnout among a demographic known to be challenging to engage on Election Day.

The letter, obtained by NBC News, first was signed by the heads of organizations like March for Our Lives, United We Dream, Gen Z for Change, and the Sunrise Movement emphasizes the critical importance of young voter enthusiasm and mobilization.

"We are experts in youth voting behavior who have worked tirelessly across the years to generate Generation Z and Millennial enthusiasm for civic action under a variety of circumstances," the letter read.

These groups take credit for mobilizing record youth turnout in the 2020 election, which played a significant role in securing Biden's victory.

"We write to you to issue a very stark and unmistakable warning: you and your Administration's stance on Gaza risks millions of young voters staying home or voting third party next year."

The warning from these progressive youth groups highlights a growing division within the Democratic coalition concerning the Biden administration's stance on the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian cause. While polls indicate that most Americans, including Democrats, support "Israel", there is a notable generational divide.

Young voters, in particular, are less supportive of the Israeli occupation's aggression while also voicing discontent with how the Biden administration is handling the crisis.

'Israel' not a US national intererst

A recent Quinnipiac University poll revealed that only 52% of adults under the age of 35 believed that supporting "Israel" served the US' national interest, and just 21% approved of Biden's policies on the Israeli occupation. This trend of disapproval among young voters had already begun before the outbreak of the conflict and seems to have intensified in recent weeks due to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses.

The generational divide is reflected in Biden's declining approval ratings among Democrats, with Gallup reporting an 11-point drop in the past month, particularly among young voters. A New York Times-Siena College poll in five swing states found that only 5% of voters under 30 "strongly approve" of Biden's job performance, with 25% "somewhat approving."

The divergence in opinion on this issue has also become apparent within the Biden administration, on Capitol Hill, and at the Democratic National Committee, where younger staffers have found ways to publicly express their concerns about the Israeli occupation's treatment of Palestinians.

In their letter, the youth-focused groups call on President Biden to pressure "Israel" for a cease-fire, warning that failing to do so would be both a moral and political disaster. They stress their pivotal role in any successful Democratic campaign and urge Biden not to jeopardize their support.

A recent report by Axios shows that Palestine, especially in light of the Israeli war against Gaza, has become a deeply divisive topic among Americans. Anti-zionist discourse has grown increasingly amplified, especially on college campuses, getting wrongfully framed as anti-semitic, while Zionist-sympathizers have resorted to Islamophobic bigotry.

“Most foreign policy issues do not generate these kinds of strong feelings in the US,” says Guy Ziv, a professor at American University’s School of International Service. “There has always been a disproportionate interest in this issue.”

Interests, interests, interests

According to the Financial Times, Biden is ignoring all that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing not out of thin air, for as the Middle East makes its way back to the top of the US' list of priorities, Biden cannot be bothered with human rights or trying to keep his close ally in check, as any disputes with him would land him in quite a pickle if he seeks to bolster US interests in the region.

Biden even took a step back on calling Saudi Arabia a "pariah" and went on to mediate a normalization agreement between the two parties that is yet to come to fruition because of the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood that took the region by storm.

However, Miller claims that Biden has actually been active, rather than passive when it came to Gaza and the Israeli onslaught there. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow, the Biden administration has been curbing the Israeli occupation on numerous fronts, including when it comes to carrying out a pre-emptive strike on Lebanon, the Qatari-mediated efforts to free captives, and allowing for humanitarian aid to make its way into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

According to FT, Biden had to step in to prevent the Israeli occupation from violating international law and the laws of war. That is to say that the killing of nearly 10,000 civilians, and the bombing of hospitals, schools, residential areas, and places of worship, all of which are a violation of international law, come with Biden pressing "Israel" not to do that.