Biden’s Israel support is frustrating for Gen Z
Cameron Jones is a sophomore at Columbia University. He has family in Israel and has visited more than once, but he also is a member of the college’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and a vocal opponent of Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
His family abroad doesn’t know about the organizing he has done, nor do they know that Jones is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the university after the JVP chapter was suspended last November.
Since Hamas strikes prompted Israel to begin attacking Gaza on Oct. 7, Jones and other students – mostly queer people, people of color and women – have been organizing to demand Columbia divest from companies and institutions that support Israel.
“I feel as though I have more of a duty to stand up against what is wrong,” Jones told me.
Nearly 33,000 Palestinians have died in the past six months. The images and information coming out of the Gaza Strip, like the Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers last week, have been difficult to see.
Calling for an end to the conflict is important to the nation’s youngest voters, and President Joe Biden needs to take a firm stance on the issue ahead of the election.
If the president called for a cease-fire, even a short-term one, it would likely be taken seriously by Israel. Biden has come out against the dangers that civilians in the region are facing, but it’s not enough.
If your social media feed is anything like mine, you’ve seen documentation of the catastrophe – of buildings after bombings, families in refugee camps and glimpses into the lives of people who have died.
The cause has even reached dating apps, where users are specifying their stances on Gaza or simply including the Palestinian flag in their bios.
This social media campaign is probably why so many young voters are supporting Palestinians compared with previous flare-ups in the region.
In a New York Times/Siena poll from December, 55% of respondents ages 18-29 oppose the United States sending more aid to Israel. A poll from Quinnipiac University in November found that 52% of voters younger than 35 are more sympathetic to the Palestinians.
However, not everyone in this demographic is on the same page. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll conducted in October shows that 48% of millennials and Generation Z think the country should publicly support Israel, while 12% of this group think that the United States should publicly criticize Israel.
A whole generation is coming of age, and some of us are questioning the years of funding our government has sent to Israel. The United States has given $130 billion in aid since Israel’s founding after World War II.
Hundreds of young employees at Jewish organizations have signed a letter addressed to Biden and Congress demanding a cease-fire.
For Jones, the claim that criticizing Israel is antisemitic is “disheartening.” He said this makes it difficult to call out “actual” antisemitism.
Recently, the president acknowledged pro-Palestinian protesters at a rally in North Carolina, saying that they “have a point” and that more care is needed in Gaza. Vice President Kamala Harris is on record supporting a six-week cease-fire. Both are steps in the right direction.
On the other hand, Biden is the sitting president of a world power. When he speaks, other leaders listen. Because of this, he needs to take an active stance in support of a cease-fire in the region. It isn’t enough to have Harris deliver the message.
Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites