HOUSTON, US

US President Joe Biden has lost an unprecedented amount of support from the Arab American community since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7 which triggered the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a new poll.

The latest numbers by the Arab American Institute show that Biden's support from Arab Americans for his 2024 reelection bid has plummeted from 59% to 17%. That is a 42% nosedive in the president's support since 2020.

The poll, which surveyed 500 Arab Americans between Oct. 23-27, also showed that Biden’s overall approval rating within the community has dropped precipitously from 74% in 2020 to 29% in 2023, "reflecting trends across the American public as a whole."

That could make a major difference in the coming presidential election, with nearly 3.7 million Arab Americans living in the US.

"Arab Americans account for hundreds of thousands of voters in several key election states like Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the 2024 election battleground will play out," said the institute.

According to the poll, if the election were held today, 40% of Arab Americans would vote for former President Donald Trump versus just 17.4% for Biden. Another 25.1% said they were undecided.

In addition, the survey revealed that 32% of Arab Americans identify as Republicans compared to 23% who identify as Democrats, which is at an all-time low, down 17% from April, in which 40% of Arab Americans identified as Democrats.

"The overall impact of the negative views toward the President and his policies not only shows up in a substantial drop in expected voter support in 2024, it also has a dramatic impact on party preference," said the institute.

"This poll marks the first time in our 26 years of polling Arab American voters in which a majority did not claim to prefer the Democratic Party."

The survey also showed that 67% of Arab Americans have a negative view of Biden’s response to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 68% believe the US should not send weapons and military supplies to Israel and 68% think the US should use its influence to call for a cease-fire.

The poll also indicated that 78% of Arab Americans are concerned about an increase in anti-Arab bigotry and 67% are concerned about an increase in anti-Semitism.