US Presidential Polls 2024: Jewish voters in swing states ‘not very happy’ with Joe Biden administration?
As the US 2024 presidential election nears, Trump and Harris campaign in battleground states. Jewish voters show signs of shifting support, with concerns over Israel and antisemitism influencing their decisions, making their votes critical in key states like Pennsylvania.
With just over two weeks until the US 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are actively campaigning in key battleground states. The race remains tight, with both candidates locked in a close contest across seven crucial states as the November 5 election approaches.
For Rona Kaufman, the signs are everywhere that more Jews feel abandoned by the Democratic Party and may vote for Republican Donald Trump.
As reported by Associated Press, Kaufman, 49, said, “The family that is my generation and older generations, I don’t think anybody is voting for Harris, and we’ve never voted Republican, ever,” referring to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. “My sister has a Trump sign outside her house, and that is a huge shift.”
Surveys indicate that most Jewish voters still lean toward the Democratic ticket, though Kaufman admits she's an outlier. Any shift in voting patterns could significantly impact Pennsylvania, where the outcome of recent presidential elections has hinged on tens of thousands of votes. Many Jewish voters believe the 2024 presidential election is unique, particularly in light of the ongoing repercussions from last year’s brutal attack by Hamas on Israelis.
Jewish voters make up a small portion of the voting-age population in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin—key states for Democrats in recent elections. In a tight race, their votes can be crucial, prompting campaigns from both Harris and Trump to recognise the risk of losing support, reported the Associated Press.
This dynamic has led Harris to navigate the complex feelings of traditional Democratic groups, particularly Jews and Arab Americans, concerning the war in Gaza. She must balance support for Israel with concerns over civilian casualties and the devastation in the region.
The Biden administration has also been urging Israel to cease its military actions, which recently included the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces.
‘Jewish people don't vote for..’
As reported by AP, Trump has looked to exploit the opening among Jewish voters especially, saying Harris “ doesn't like ” Jewish people, Jews who don't vote for him “need their head examined ” and that he’ll be the “ best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House.”
Historically, surveys indicate that Jewish voters predominantly support the Democratic Party. A recent Pew Research Center poll found approximately two-thirds of Jewish voters back Harris. In 2020, around 70% of Jewish voters supported President Joe Biden, according to AP VoteCast.
The question now is whether Jewish voters' support has shifted, as many reassess Israel's survival amid its expanding conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah, and potentially Iran.
The evolving situation has intensified attention on the U.S.-Israel relationship, particularly as military aid from the U.S. continues. Many Jews are also increasingly worried about rising antisemitism in the U.S. and the surge of anti-Israel protests in cities and on college campuses, including Philadelphia, which have contributed to feelings of insecurity.
In Pennsylvania, the memory of the 2018 attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a gunman motivated by white supremacist ideology killed 11 worshippers, remains fresh and deeply impactful. As Pennsylvania takes center stage in the upcoming election, many voters report unprecedented outreach from campaigns.
From Trump on down, Republicans are working to attract Jewish voters by emphasising the divisions within the Democratic Party. They point to the tension between the party's longstanding support for Israel and a rising faction that has accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza, called for an unconditional halt to attacks on Hamas, and demanded an end to US military support for Israel.
This message has resonated with some Jewish voters who typically lean Democratic.
“I think that there are folks who are reluctant Trump voters who feel scared as Jews in this country,” said Jeremy Kazzaz, a Pittsburgh resident and Harris supporter, AP reported.
Kazzaz, however, said Harris has a long record of fighting antisemitism that is relatively unknown to many voters.
He noted that the Biden administration appointed her husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, to lead a task force focused on developing a strategy to combat antisemitism even before Hamas attacked Israel. Emhoff has played a significant role as a surrogate, engaging with Jewish audiences in the Philadelphia suburbs and participating in the groundbreaking of a new complex to replace Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue.
Still, where Harris' supporters see strong support of Israel — for instance, the Biden administration sent a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to Israel, along with the troops needed to operate it — others see conditional support.
The report said that it includes Biden urging Israel not to hit Iran’s nuclear program or oil fields. At the same time, Biden has stressed his administration’s support for Israel and, in her remarks on the anniversary of Hamas' attack, Harris said she'll “always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and that I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world.”
Criticism of Biden for extending sanctions waivers to Iran
Steve Rosenberg, a Philadelphia resident who voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, intends to back Trump again in 2024. He has voiced criticism of Biden for extending sanctions waivers to Iran, claiming that this decision has provided the Islamic Republic with the funds necessary to finance a war against Israel.
“The question is, ‘Who is better off today than four years ago?’” Rosenberg said. “And the answer is Iran and the mullahs and their proxies, and it's because Biden and Kamala Harris have capitulated to Iran.”
Biden administration officials have stated that they are extending Trump-era waivers, allowing Iran access to funds previously restricted to humanitarian supplies. They emphasise that these funds are vetted to ensure they can only be used for food, medicine, medical equipment, and agricultural goods. However, critics, particularly Iran hawks, argue that these waivers could enable Iran to redirect domestic revenue, which it might have otherwise used for humanitarian purposes, to support proxies like Hamas.
The US, meanwhile, has imposed other new sanctions on Iran this year.
Kaufman, a self-described progressive from Pittsburgh's predominantly Jewish Squirrel Hill neighbourhood, never imagined she would consider voting for Trump.
However, she now believes Trump will maintain a tough stance against Iran, which she views as a pressing threat to democracy, human rights, and Western civilisation. In contrast, she worries that Harris might appease Iran and cater to the left wing of her party.
Jews with very strong connections to Israel — her parents were born there and her daughter just finished a two-year eight-month mandatory service with the Israeli army — are similarly conflicted over supporting Harris, Kaufman said. “I’m saying it out loud everywhere, but most people aren't saying it out loud.”
‘Trump as a threat to democracy’
Many Jews who support Harris view Trump as a threat to democracy. They emphasise that minorities, including Jews, have legitimate reasons to fear persecution under authoritarian regimes. They can point to a range of Trump’s comments that they find alarming, such as his suggestions to use the military against domestic adversaries, his promotion of dual-loyalty stereotypes about Jews, and his tendency to scapegoat Jews if he loses.
Additionally, following Hamas' attack, he criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while praising Hezbollah as “very smart,” further raising concerns among this group.
(With inputs from AP)
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