Joe Biden is increasingly isolated a few months before the presidential election. The American president is criticized from all sides for his management of the war in Gaza. Some accuse him of supporting genocide while others believe that he does not help Israel enough.
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Whatever he does, whatever he says, Joe Biden finds itself in a more than delicate situation, reports Loubna Anaki, our correspondent in New York. For Republicans and pro-Israeli groups, the American president has “ abandoned Israel “.
These are also the words used by Donald Trump after the Democrat warned Israel that it could suspend the delivery of thousands of bombs if the Israeli army attacked Rafah. Donald Trump who accused Joe Biden of “ take the side » of Hamas. “ What Biden is doing about Israel is a disgracelaunched the Republican presidential candidate, he completely abandoned Israel “.
A position which also provokes the anger of some of the Democratic president’s biggest pro-Israeli donors. “ The enormous financial and political pressure exerted by AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) in Washington is the most important factor preventing many Democratic representatives from opposing Israel’s war in Gaza. », declares to CNN Waleed Shahid, who held leadership positions in many liberal organizations and was active in organizing opposition to the war.
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Critics also in the Democratic camp
Even in his own camp, the Democrat faces criticism. Some senators and representatives of his party demand that aid provided to Israel be subject to conditions. An option currently ruled out by the White House.
At the same time, his administration’s decisions are hardly enough to calm the anger of pro-Palestinian groups and demonstrators, including a majority of young people, key voters for Joe Biden. “ Student protests are a thorn in the side for Joe Biden “, says Pierre Bourgoislecturer in political science at the Catholic University of the West in Angers.
Alex Keena, professor of political science at VCU University in Virginia, told AFP that “ the protests put Biden in a delicate position, because to win in 2020, he relied a lot on young people, on Muslims and Americans of Arab origin “. The White House is “ apparently convinced that she will weather this storm and still win against Donald Trump in November. […] This is a dangerous miscalculation », attacks in a recent post James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, an association which represents Americans of Arab origin.
Read alsoStudent discontent against the war in Gaza could undermine Biden’s presidential campaign
The bipartisan support that Joe Biden enjoyed in the first weeks following October 7 has disappeared, his popularity rating is the lowest for an American president in 75 years. Six months before his electoral face-to-face with Donald Trump, Joe Biden is under pressure.