Younger Americans more likely to disapprove of Biden handling Israel-Hamas war: Poll

More than 40% of the public disapproves of President Joe Biden‘s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, with disapproval rates even more pronounced for adults aged 30 and under, according to research released Friday.

A Pew Research Center survey found that 41% of adults disapprove of Biden’s handling of the conflict, 35% approve, and 24% aren’t sure. Yet, the disapproval rating jumped to 46% for adults under age 30, just two months after the crisis began on Oct. 7 when Hamas, the terrorist group, launched a surprise attack against Israel.

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Only 19% of adults aged 30 and under approved of Biden’s leadership during the war, with 34% not sure.

It’s a worrying sign for the Biden reelection campaign as foreign policy has dominated the president’s agenda at a time when he’s struggled to motivate young voters and voters of color ahead of the 2024 election.

However, older adults were less likely to view the Biden administration negatively. Adults aged 50-64 were more split in their judgment of Biden when it comes to the Middle East, with 38% disapproving, 39% approving, and 22% not sure. Adults aged 65 and older viewed Biden more favorably, with only 37% disapproving, 50% approving, and 13% not sure.

More than half of Republicans, 51%, disapprove of Biden’s handling of the war, with only 28% approving. Only 44% of Democrats approved of their party leader, while 33% disapproved.

The public was generally divided on whether Biden is striking the right tone in dealing with Israelis and Palestinians. A quarter of the public said he was striking the right balance, 21% said he favored Israelis too much, 38% weren’t sure, and 16% said he was favoring Palestinians too much.

The battle between the two groups has led to public disputes within the Democratic Party as progressive members have called for a ceasefire and accused Israel of committing genocide against people living in Gaza.

According to Pew Research, 45% of Democrats said Israel was going too far in its military operation against Hamas, while only 12% of Republicans said the same. Overall, 27% of adults said Israel was going too far against Hamas, 25% said Israel was taking the right approach, and 16% said the Jewish nation wasn’t going far enough.

Biden has consistently defended Israel’s right to protect itself and is attempting to muscle through a multibillion-dollar foreign aid package through Congress.

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The majority of Republicans, 73%, and Democrats, 62%, said Hamas bears responsibility for the conflict. However, half of Democrats, 50%, said the Israeli government bears a lot of responsibility compared to 21% of Republicans, in another sign of Democratic tensions regarding the war.

Overall, 65% of the public place blame on Hamas for the conflict, with 35% placing responsibility on Israel.