Arab American support for Biden under 20% amid war on Gaza: poll

Support for US President Joe Biden is dwindling among Arab Americans, a new poll has found.

Biden’s popularity has been rapidly decreasing, with many citing the reason as being Israel's war on Gaza and the US response to it.

A poll conducted by the Arab American Institute (AAI) found Biden's support among Arab Americans at just under 20 percent. 

Support was low in states which have sizable Arab American voter bases, including in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

AAI estimates that around 3.7 million Arab Americans live in the US, and that they remain a key voting bloc in several states that could decide the 2024 race.

The plummeting in support contrasts sharply with the nearly 60 percent Arab American vote in the 2020 US presidential election, which saw Biden defeat Donald Trump. 

AAI says the "simple reason" why Biden’s support is low is due to the ongoing war on Gaza, where Israel has killed at least 36,000 Palestinians and wounded 81,000 others since October.

When given 10 issues and asked to rate the most important out of three, 60 percent say it is the war on Gaza, while 57 also say the war will be "very important" in determining their vote in November.

The institute determines that compared to the Arab American vote in 2020 and the poll’s expected results in November 2024, Biden will see a potential loss of 177,000 votes in those four key states, with almost 90,000 of those losses occurring in Michigan alone.

AAI estimates these states remain a key voting block and could decide the 2024 race.

The US has seen strong backlash over its support for Israel, with a series of marches and encampments calling for an end to Israel’s war and to hold Washington accountable over its support for Israel.

The nation has long been Israel’s strongest ally and biggest supplier of weapons, including many used in the war on Gaza.

Biden has also called himself a Zionist, garnering criticism for his unequivocal diplomatic and military support of Israel.