According to new polling, former President Donald Trump’s support among Jewish Americans in New York fell by about 15 percentage points between February and April.
New York has emerged as a focal point for demonstrations linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, which has reportedly claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians since October 7, 2023, when Israel retaliated against militants responsible for the deaths of over 1,160 individuals. Recent assaults between Israel and Iran have exacerbated the international unrest.
Monday marked the domestic cancellation of in-person classes at Columbia University in New York City, following over a week of sit-ins and pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have resulted in the apprehension of over one hundred students. Last week, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, president of Columbia, testified before Congress that the purpose of the cancellation is to “deescalate the animosity and allow everyone an opportunity to contemplate subsequent actions.
“The Middle East crisis is exerting far-reaching consequences that extend to the United States and the 2024 presidential election. President Joe Biden persists in managing a precarious circumstance concerning one of its most enduring allies, advocating for a cessation of hostilities even as progressives discourage support for the president in November unless he adopts a more assertive stance toward Israeli counterparts, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a survey conducted between April 15 and 17, support for Trump among Jews in New York dropped from 38% in February, as reported by Siena College, to 38% in February. This decline coincided with the escalation of protests at prestigious institutions such as the aforementioned Ivy League establishment.
When 806 statewide registered voters were asked whether they would support Trump or Biden, 45% said Biden. In that scenario, an additional 8% of Jewish respondents stated that they would not vote, and an additional 8% declined to provide a response.
This is a complete reversal from February, when the identical subject was first raised and neither Biden nor Trump had amassed sufficient delegates to be nominated for their respective parties. Ahead of Biden in that survey was Trump by 53% to 44%.
The April survey possesses a margin of error of 4.1 percent. The February survey possesses a margin of error of 4.2 percent.
An email was sent to the Trump campaign by Newsweek requesting comment.In the past two months, there has been a decline in the favorable and unfavorable ratings for Trump. In April, the ratings dropped from 34 percent favorable and 49 percent unfavorable in February, to 34 percent favorable and 63 percent unfavorable.
In contrast, the percentage of Jewish respondents who support Biden has remained relatively stable, increasing from approximately 50% in February to 52% this month.
Biden issued a statement on Sunday, one day prior to Passover, in which he condemned the situation at Columbia.
“Silence is complicity,” stated the president. There have been incidents of harassment and demands for violence directed at Jews even in recent days. This overt antisemitism is harmful and abhorrent; it has no place whatsoever on college campuses or in our country.
The statement was issued one day after the United States House of Representatives voted to provide Israel and Ukraine with support, including arms and billions of dollars in unconditional military funds to the Israeli government. The legislation pertaining to national security encountered opposition from 37 Democrats.
“Congress members who voted to send additional warplanes, bombs, and unconditional military funds that will facilitate the Israeli government’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza will not be remembered favorably,” said Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, in a statement obtained by Newsweek.
“This vote rewards the warmongering Netanyahu regime and brings the entire region closer to the brink of a full-blown war.”
While Trump has refrained from expressing his stance on the unfolding events at Columbia, he did state this month on the conservative radio program Hugh Hewitt that Israel is “absolutely losing the PR war.”
“Stop killing people and put an end to the conflict,” Trump advised Hewitt, encouraging Israel to increase its aggression. “Put simply, that is a statement. They are obligated to complete the task. “Get it over with, and get it over with quickly, because we need it—you need to return to peace and normalcy.”
