Biden sees uptick in support from Democrats on handling of Israel-Hamas conflict: Poll

A poll published Thursday shows an increase in Democratic support for President Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, despite criticism from some on the party’s left flank.

The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found 59 percent of Democrats approve of Biden’s handling of the situation — up from 50 percent in November. The uptick comes as the president and other White House officials over the past month increasingly spoke about the need for Israel to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, which is controlled by militant group Hamas.

The poll also found that 75 percent of Democrats approve of Biden’s overall job performance, also up 6 points from a month ago. The president’s approval rating among U.S. adults is at 41 percent in the AP poll, which surveyed 1,074 adults between Nov. 30 and Dec. 4.

Biden has sought to strike a difficult balance in navigating the conflict in the Middle East in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed roughly 1,200 people.

He has also been steadfast in his support for Israel, arguing it has a right to defend itself and urging Congress to pass billions of dollars in aid for the country in its fight against Hamas. Biden has in recent weeks publicly urged Israel to minimize civilian casualties amid growing concerns of the death toll in Gaza, which is more than 10,000 people.

But some Democrats have been increasingly outspoken in their concerns about Israel’s campaign in Gaza and have called for a cease-fire or for conditions to be put on aid to Israel.

“I’ve been very straightforward and blunt with our Israeli friends in private about what I think they have to do and the burden they have and the commitment they have from me and my administration,” Biden said at a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Wednesday. “So, there’s going to be a lot more we have to figure out.”

“And … I just want you to know that I’m not walking away. My administration is not walking away,” he added.

The AP-NORC survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for all survey respondents.