Many Jewish Americans preparing to celebrate the Passover holiday are still mourning the tragic loss of their brothers and sisters in Israel, who suffered unspeakable crimes at the hands of Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Much trauma was relived last weekend when Israel suffered an unprecedented direct attack from Iran.
Regrettably, as time has passed since October, the Biden administration has increasingly chosen to sympathize less with the Israelis and more with those opposed to eliminating Hamas. The White House’s reaction to Iran’s attack, immediately urging Israeli restraint, was likewise troubling.
President Joe Biden’s initial instincts displayed on Oct. 10, calling the atrocities “sheer evil,” detailing the horrific crimes, and explicitly promising to stand resolutely with Israel in its “duty” to respond, were correct. At the time, he was rightly guided by intuitive human empathy and common sense. Now, his administration is transparently caving to political pressures from the far Left and constituencies in Michigan who do not support Israel’s existential war of self-defense.
This decision is not only ethically repugnant but politically misguided. Supporting Israel is still both morally right and politically smart. Americans of every creed continue to stand with the Jewish state.
Recent polling about the conflict in the Middle East reveals that the American electorate is comprised of a strong, pro-Israel majority. A late-March Harvard CAPS-Harris poll shows that nearly 80% of Americans still support Israel over Hamas.
A Pew Research poll conducted in late February similarly found that a majority of Americans say Israel’s reasons for fighting Hamas are valid. Even 74% of Democrats in the March poll expressed solidarity with Israel, confirming that concern for the Jewish people is not a partisan political issue, but an inherently moral one that crosses party lines.
Despite this polling, Iran’s aerial assault against Israel on April 14 — using 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic missiles — did not result in unequivocal U.S. support. Instead, Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to defend his people.
Appeasement of anti-Israel activists is one of the only plausible reasons behind such a misguided request from the Biden administration. Likewise, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent comment accusing Israel of becoming “indistinguishable” from Hamas could not be more ignorant.
Beyond polling, candidates with a bold pro-Israel position are already faring better on the campaign trail. In New York, extreme Israel critic Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is losing to his opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a steadfast supporter of Israel, in their 16th Congressional District primary race.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who stands in bold support of Israel’s war against Hamas, has likewise reached new levels of popularity with voters, as Biden struggles to maintain his approval ratings in the same state. Across our country, outside of loud but small pockets of Hamas sympathizers in echo chambers, Americans are choosing candidates supporting Israel as it faces evil.
As the executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, I continue to hear overwhelming declarations of support for Israel and for Jews in churches and among members of our community. The more unhinged they see antisemitic radicals become, the more committed to Israel’s security they are.
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Unfortunately, misalignment on the issue of Israel seems to be part of a broader disconnect between the White House’s policy agenda and the will of the people. Families desire a secure border, affordable gas and groceries, safe streets, religious freedom, and a strong national defense. Yet, the Biden team has largely failed to deliver on these popular priorities. It should spend more time listening to ordinary Americans than the most extreme corners of its liberal base.
Since their exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people have overcome unending persecution from every direction. If a second presidential term is indeed Biden’s goal, then his administration must stop equivocating and pandering to far-left constituencies, ignore those pushing for indulging Generation Z, and instead show America’s pro-Israel majority that the Jewish state can count on the United States for protection in times of emergency.
Timothy Head is the executive director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition.