Dec 7, 2023 - Politics & Policy

More Democrats approve of Biden's handling of lsrael-Hamas war: poll

Ivana Saric

oe Biden delivers a statement urging Congress to pass his national security supplemental from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on December 06 — President Biden delivers a statement at the White House on Dec. 6. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Democrats are feeling better about President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war than they were a month ago, according to a new AP/NORC poll published Thursday.

The big picture: The shift comes as the Biden administration has sought to underscore the need to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza and after a weeklong pause in fighting that led to the release of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

The Biden administration has also pressed Israel to maintain the increased levels of humanitarian aid that were being allowed into Gaza during the pause in fighting.

By the numbers: Of those surveyed, about three out of five (59%) Democrats approve of Biden's handling of the conflict, the new poll found.

An AP/NORC poll released in early November found only half of Democrats approved of his approach.
Republicans' views of Biden's handling of the conflict have remained consistently low. Fewer than one in five (18%) approved of his handling of the conflict, polls in November and December found.
Biden's overall approval rating on the issue inched up slightly in the last month from 34% to 37%, per the poll.

Zoom in: Two out of three Americans said they believe returning the hostages taken by Hamas is critical, according to the survey.

However, there was a gulf between Democrats and Republicans when it came to negotiating a permanent ceasefire, providing humanitarian relief to Gaza and providing military aid to Israel.

Methodology: The poll of 1,074 adults was conducted Nov. 30-Dec. 4 and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.

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More Democrats approve of Biden's handling of lsrael-Hamas war: poll

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