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Israel Gaza: Angst Grows Among Young Voters Over Biden’s Policy

US President Joe Biden responds to questions by members of the media upon arrival at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on December 20, 2023. President Biden is in Milwaukee to speak about his "Bidenomics" agenda. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The 2024 presidential election promises to be one of the most polarising political contests in living memory. But as the war in Gaza rages, President Joe Biden’s strong support of Israel is putting him at odds with some of his key supporters – younger voters.

Abdul Osmanu, 22, is not sure he can cast a ballot for President Joe Biden again. Much of that hesitation, he said, involves the Biden administration’s support of Israel as it continues to bombard Gaza.

“As a lover of peace, a Muslim, and a black man, it’s terrible to see the repression of the Palestinians,” said Mr Osmanu, who was elected to his local town council in 2021. “It’d be tough for me, in my conscience, to vote for a president aiding and abetting that in many ways.”

The young Connecticut voter told the BBC that he was weighing whether to vote for a third-party candidate or leave his presidential ballot blank in 2024. The decision is difficult, however, as he – and many other young voters – do not want to see Donald Trump elected again.

An increasing number of young Democratic voters, like Mr Osmanu, appear to be breaking with President Biden over the issue of Israel and the conflict in Gaza. It is a cause for concern for Democrats, as their opposition to Mr Biden’s policies could threaten a key pillar of support that the elder statesman leaned on during the 2020 election.

Rhonda Caldwell Abdul OsmanuRhonda Caldwell
Abdul Osmanu said he was unsure whether he could vote for Joe Biden again.

For the past two months, young voters have seen in the news and on social media images of war and destruction from within Gaza. They have followed the death toll as it climbed to over 20,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

At the same time, they have watched as Mr Biden publicly backed Israel’s stated effort to eradicate Hamas after they and allied groups killed 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October. It continues to hold an estimated 100 hostages in Gaza.

The BBC reviewed polling research and spoke to six young Democratic voters and organisers from across the US. Data and interviews appear to show a growing sense of political discord among young voters ahead of the 2024 election.

The Biden campaign declined to comment.

But registered voters aged 18-29 said they were more likely to support the Palestinian cause over Israel, a recent New York Times/Siena poll suggested. According to the survey, voters aged 18-29 had critical views of Israel and its counteroffensive against Hamas across the board, while older generations had more favourable views of the country.

Though a clear majority of registered voters – 57% – disapprove of the way Mr Biden is handling the conflict, young voters have the greatest objections. A total 72% of voters aged 18-29 disapprove of Mr Biden’s efforts, the Times/Siena poll indicated.

Anna Bosking, a 22-year-old Iowa native, plans to vote for Mr Biden again. But after taking a Middle Eastern politics course at university, speaking to classmates from Gaza and seeing eyewitness accounts on social media, she has become more critical of America’s relationship with Israel.

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