"Biden's Delayed Response to Gaza Strip... Signs of Democratic Voter Defection"

President Joe Biden requested Israel, which has blockaded the Gaza Strip, to allow the entry of relief supplies and announced that the United States would provide direct humanitarian aid. However, radical Democratic supporters criticized President Biden for his delayed response, saying that civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip have increased.

[Image source=UPI Yonhap News]

According to the Associated Press, on the 20th (local time), after holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, President Biden announced that he would provide $100 million (about 130 billion KRW) in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He also decided, in consultation with the governments of Israel and Egypt, to send 20 trucks loaded with relief supplies into the Gaza Strip, which Israel has blockaded.

The Biden administration appears to have taken this step considering the widespread anger across the Middle East following the hospital explosion tragedy in the Gaza Strip. Currently, protests condemning Israel's military actions are spreading throughout the Middle East, including Palestine, Lebanon, T?rkiye, and Jordan.

However, radical Democratic supporters, mainly composed of people of color and young adults, criticized President Biden for showing a lukewarm response to support for Palestine. Despite more than 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip suffering from livelihood difficulties due to Israel's blockade, President Biden's delayed action is said to have worsened the damage. Radical Democratic party members have been urging the U.S. administration to take a more active humanitarian role in this crisis.

There are concerns that President Biden's delayed response could lead to a decline in approval ratings in the upcoming presidential election. This is because support for Palestine is spreading throughout the Democratic Party. According to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this year before the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched airstrikes on Israel, 49% of Democrats said they support Palestine. Gallup reported that this is the highest figure in 20 years of polling. In particular, the millennial generation (born 1981?1997) showed higher support for Palestine. The millennial generation played a key role in the Democratic Party's strong performance in last year's midterm elections.

Arab Democratic supporters are also expressing disappointment with President Biden's handling of the situation and are turning away. James Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute, a U.S. policy research organization, stated, "I will vote for President Biden, but at this point, I don't think I can ask (Arab Americans) to support Biden." Zogby is an Arab American who has served as an executive member of the Democratic National Committee and has played a significant role in boosting Democratic support within the Arab community.

Abbas Alawi, chief of staff to U.S. Representative Cori Bush and a progressive strategist within the Democratic Party, also warned, "It is a mistake to think that the support of Americans and the Muslim community is unlimited."

The defection of Arab Democratic voters could deal a significant blow to President Biden. Arab American votes account for 5% and 2% in the battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, respectively. Since battleground states are regions where the support gap between Democratic and Republican candidates is narrow, even single-digit vote shares can greatly influence election outcomes.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) explained, "Radical Democratic voters and Arab Americans in the U.S. are criticizing President Biden for responding too late to the Gaza crisis," adding, "Over the years, there has been a trend among Democratic factions to shift support from Israel toward Palestine."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.