Former President Donald Trump has accused President Joe Biden of hating Israel, the Jewish people, and Palestinians, claiming that the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville is less serious than the pro-Palestinian protests happening on college campuses. Trump’s latest remarks are seen as an attempt to court Jewish voters by criticizing Biden’s stance on Israel.
Trump went on to say that Biden’s frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is enabling pro-Palestinian protesters, blaming the contentious demonstrations at Columbia University and other college campuses on Biden. Trump accused Biden of sending the wrong signal and tone with his words, suggesting that the President doesn’t know who he is backing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This is not the first time Trump has criticized Biden’s Israel policies. He previously accused Biden of abandoning Israel and questioned the loyalty of any Jewish person who votes for Democrats. Trump’s increasingly incendiary rhetoric towards Biden’s Israel policies comes at a time when Biden faces challenges from both progressives who believe he has not done enough to condemn the violence and pro-Israel Jewish Democrats.
Jewish voters have historically aligned with the Democratic party, but that alignment has slipped in recent years. According to Pew Research, the majority of Jews identify as Democrats, but there has been an eight percentage point drop since 2020. The shift in Jewish support could play a crucial role in swing states like Pennsylvania, where Jewish voters are seen as key to securing electoral votes.
In response to Trump’s criticisms, a coalition of Jewish leaders condemned his comments, calling them defamatory and false. Trump has faced accusations of fueling antisemitism throughout his time in politics, including making statements that were seen as allusions to antisemitic conspiracy theories and hosting individuals with ties to white nationalism and Holocaust denial.
The pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses have added to the tensions surrounding Biden’s Israel policies. While some see these protests as representative of the frustration within Biden’s progressive base over his handling of the conflict, others believe they are not a top concern among younger voters. Polls suggest that the Israel-Hamas war is not the main issue for most young voters in the upcoming election.
