One of the surprises of the upcoming U.S. presidential elections in November is that there are strong indications that some of its established rules will witness changes, even if slight, regarding voting trends, influential voter blocs, and their distributions in the states, particularly in what are known as the "swing states" that do not consistently lean towards a specific party but change their stance based on the circumstances of each election. Many believe that there will be a shift due to the impact of Middle Eastern conditions on voting trends—conditions that have remained stable for decades in favor of Israel. However, recent developments have forcefully emerged since the spread of filmed news about Israeli crimes in Gaza since last October, supporting the expectation that this issue will see changes. Early signs of this have manifested in massive protests by students at major universities, joined by some professors, against Israel's horrific crimes against unarmed Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the killing of children, showing unprecedented public sympathy for Palestinians where they raised the Palestinian flag for the first time in the history of protests at these universities. This occurred alongside a flurry of counter-demonstrations supporting Israel.
It is particularly important to note the impact of these protests in the swing states. The demonstrations received extensive coverage on social media, and traditional media outlets, including print and television, could not afford to miss out on reporting, lest they alienate their audiences and risk losing a significant portion of their advertisements. This is a connected and intertwined cycle where public engagement affects and is affected by advertising. However, it is strange that, until now, news agencies have not reported any weighty new studies regarding this emerging influence on the upcoming elections! The only voices heard are the few usual ones that have consistently warned of America’s permanent bias towards Israel, justifying its crimes, and continuing to support it economically and militarily, as well as within international organizations, most notably the Security Council.
If we look further into the future beyond the upcoming elections, and if Israel succeeds in displacing a number of Gaza residents to America, they will become an additional force in the growing pro-Palestinian movement against Israel, further weakening Israeli electoral influence.
