Older Americans 65 and up are far more likely to support Israel than Americans aged 18 to 29. The difference between generations on questions like aid to Israel or whether Israel is sincerely interested in peace is stark.
Ezra Klein has a great article explaining these differences. People my age remember how Israel struggled to even exist, how its neighbors attacked it, how it was founded with ideals of freedom and democracy.
Younger Americans see the Israel of nuclear capability. They see West Bank settlements, abuse of Palestinians, and a Prime Minister backed by religious nationalists bent on expansion, refusing to even consider a Palestinian state. They see a response to the horrific attack on Israel that kills thousands of people who had nothing to do with Hamas.
There are Israelis and Palestinians who would like to live in peace. They don’t control of the situation. The fanatics on both sides are in control. I don’t see how the Biden Administration can do very much, but I believe it is sincerely trying.
See Ezra Klein, “Gen Z Is Listening to What Netanyahu Is Saying. Is Biden?” New York Times, (Jan. 27, 2024), p. A20.
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