Jewish Americans: Politically Divided After the Hamas Attacks?

Photo via Reuters

PATRICK MCFARLAND: As with all communities heading into the presidential election, the American Jewish community is divided on which candidate will win its support. Beyond the platforms of each candidate, there is a deeper question fundamental to Jewish identity: Which candidate will have greater support for Israel?

This question has grown more critical following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. The question is not only will the candidates support Israel, but what will the support look like, how strong will it be, and what does the relationship between the two nations entail as Israel continues its battle with Hamas?

"This year has been a struggle as to what to do about who to vote for," stated Rabbi Ari Goldstein, Temple Beth Shalom. "Prior to Oct. 7, democracy was 80% and Israel was 20%, but since Oct. 7, Israel has moved to 75% and democracy to 25%. So, has Oct. 7 affected my voting? Yeah, it's affected it a lot. Now the question is weighing the handful of things that are really important to me.”

According to Gallup, 58% of Americans support Israel, a 10% decrease from last year.  Israel's handling of the war has the United States being cautious in the approach that it takes in supporting Israel. According to the campaign platform, Vice President Kamala Harris supports Israel's right to defend itself and will continue the Biden administration's policies. The caution demonstrated by the Biden administration makes Jewish Americans feel that Harris may not be as strong in her actions.

“I have had students say I agree with the Democratic party 99%”, said Noah Scholl, the George Washington University Hillel Student Engagement Coordinator. “But they are concerned a Harris-Walz administration means no support for Israel. I think it’s turned more people into single-issue voters. It’s raised the profile of how much Israel matters. When Shapiro was not chosen, it felt like that was a significant blow.” 

While Israel may not have been the most important issue to Jewish voters before Oct. 7, there is concern that a democratic administration may not be as committed in its support for Israel. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign platform states he will stand with Israel and seek peace in the Middle East. While many may not like Trump, they believe Trump’s approach during his presidency positively affected relations between the two countries. This includes his brokering of the 2020 Abraham Accords, a bilateral agreement between Israel and four Arab nations.

"He did some good things for Israel," Goldstein said. "[He] put motives or his awareness aside; it still happened under his leadership. I have to give credit to his administration for doing very good things for Israel."

While some view the Abraham Accords and Trump-era policies as being positive for Israel, others question his authenticity and believe that a Harris administration may bring an end to the conflict and a return to a call for a two-state solution.

"Assuming Kamala Harris is President, we will probably hear more talk about a two-state solution because historically that has been a democratic talking point," said Arie Dubnov, Israel Studies professor, at George Washington University. "For Trump, it was very important for him to present himself as being pro-Israel to appeal to conservative Jews and Evangelical Christians. But he also went on record to say one-state, two-state who cares, just come up with a solution because he believes in his magical power as an amazing negotiator. Which is neither good for the Palestinians or for Israelis."

As the election results from Dearborn, Michigan, showed us, Trump's 2024 coalition is diverse. Let's see how this administration balances foreign policy expectations, especially when your supporters have contradictory expectations. The Abraham Accords were very good for Israel and began a new era for the Middle East. However, the Trump administration did not push back against Israel in a few significant areas, prominently the settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights. I suppose I am a nostalgic liberal, and I would like to see a return of conversation about a two-state solution. But there appears to be no desire for that following October 7. As the United States begins the second Trump era, let's look at Michigan as an example of people finding some common ground, and we can move forward to be an example of peace for the world rather than divisiveness. 

Patrick McFarland is a journalism graduate student who tries to look at politics through the lens of culture and society.