Who will Arab-American voters support in presidential election?
Echoes of the Trump-Biden debate, which locked millions of people in the US on the screen, continue, Washington, Oct 1, 2020, Anadolu Agency
In the upcoming election on Nov. 5, President Joe Biden will face off against former President Donald Trump. While polls suggest Trump is leading the race, the election is expected to be fiercely contested. As Israel’s atrocities in Gaza continue, there is debate over which candidate Arab-American voters will support.
Since Oct. 7, the Biden administration has supported Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip. This stance has sparked protests on numerous university campuses across the country.
In response to growing backlash, the Biden administration proposed a cease-fire, which was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Throughout the conflict, Biden has reiterated his Zionist stance, emphasizing that one does not need to be Jewish to be a Zionist.
Biden’s position is believed to be pushing Arab voters toward Trump. However, Trump was the architect of the Abraham Accords, which facilitated normalization between Arab countries and Israel. Additionally, during Trump’s presidency, the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Polls examining Arab-American voter trends for the November 2024 election show a stark change. In 2020, Biden led Trump 59% to 35% among Arab voters, but now he trails Trump 32% to 18%.
A poll by Arab American Institute (AAI) further reveals that 79% of Arab Americans hold an unfavorable view of President Biden, while 55% have an unfavorable view of Trump.
Nevertheless, the same AAI poll indicates that if the president were to dramatically change his policy on Israel/Gaza, he could potentially regain much of the lost support.
