Harris concedes 2024 election, Biden, Trump speak for first time since Trump win

The cosmic battle between presidential candidates Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris comes to a head Tuesday as Americans head to the polls for the final day of voting.

The 2024 election has been billed as a fight for the soul of America, centering less on policy and more on questions of democracy and identity. 

Even when the ties between the president and the prime minister were tense, as was the case during the Netanyahu-Obama years and parts of the Netanyahu-Biden years, the relations between the two countries remained strong and proved very resilient.

There is no reason to think this will not continue, regardless of who wins Tuesday night. 

Over 77 million Americans have already participated in early voting as pre-election voting nears its conclusion across the United States, CNN reported on Monday.

Many states are finalizing the results of their in-person early voting periods over the weekend. According to data compiled by CNN, Edison Research, and Catalist—a data and analytics provider for Democrats, academic institutions, and nonprofit advocacy groups—early ballots have been cast in 47 states and Washington, D.C., offering a comprehensive look into pre-November voter behavior.

This year’s early voting numbers indicate a decline compared to 2020. That year, over 110 million Americans voted early, either in person or by mail, accounting for roughly 70% of the total electorate. While it will take weeks to have the final number of voters, projections suggest that early voting will account for about 50% of the overall ballots, resembling the 2022 midterm elections more closely.

A significant shift in early voting trends this year is the increase in participation among Republicans. Unlike in 2020, when early and mail-in voting was met with skepticism from the Trump campaign, this year has seen a concerted effort to motivate Republican voters to use these methods. Catalist’s data from 27 states reveals that registered Democrats have contributed 37% of the early ballots, while registered Republicans make up 35%, signaling a more balanced partisan split compared to the previous presidential election.

Despite a continued gender gap in early voting, the difference has slightly narrowed from 2020 levels. Data from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—the most competitive states—shows that approximately 1.8 million more women than men have cast early ballots. This reduced gap is not only due to fewer people voting early overall but also reflects a minor decrease in the percentage difference between male and female voters compared to four years ago.

US presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is leading US presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris by 18 percentage points within the male electorate, NBC News reported in a Monday poll.

Harris is leading Trump by 16 percentage points within the female electorate, according to the same poll, highlighting a stark gender gap in polling results. The margin of error in the poll is +/- 3.1%.

There is an even wider gender gap over education, with Harris winning white women with college degrees by a large amount, compared with Trump leading among men and women without college degrees.

Harris is leading among Latino voters by 14% compared to Trump, with 54% of respondents planning to vote for her.

The poll further shows that US President Joe Biden has a job approval rating of 41% and a 58% disapproval rating.

In contrast, Trump currently has a 48% retrospective approval rating on for his presidency, a higher rating than he had during his entire presidency.

He still remains one of the more unpopular US presidential candidates, with a 51% disapproval rating among all registered voters and a 42% approval rating.

This week, Jews across the state of Michigan are casting their ballots in the presidential election. For our community, the act of voting is one of hope – and civic participation is a cornerstone of our faith. 

Yet for the two of us — and so many other Jewish Michiganders — the last twelve months have been, without a doubt, among the most difficult any of us can remember. 

One prominent pro-Trump figure says that Donald Trump is the only candidate with a proven record of hobbling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Since those capabilities threaten the US as well as Israel, this man sees voting for Trump as a way of securing the country’s future.  His words carry special weight because, until very recently, former Florida Congressman Peter Deutsch was a lifelong Democrat, even serving as surrogate for presidential candidate Barack Obama in the 2008 election.

Similarly, one pro-Harris woman says that Trump’s every word and action are “antithetical” to the teachings and example of Jesus, explaining that she cannot understand how any American of faith could support Trump. She describes her vote for Kamala Harris as both an act of conscience and a way to ensure a safe future for America.

Normally, writing a column just before an election which will be published two days after, I should start by saying that by the time you read this you’ll already know whom the new President is, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. But I can say with certainty that by the time you read this you will not know whom the President is, even though you’ll have voted 48 hours before. It’s going to be days (weeks?), I predict, until we have some resolution on whom our new Chief Executive is. But one thing is certain: It will not be Joe Biden.

And as he leaves the world stage after a half-century in politics, it behoves me as an American Jew to recognize one undeniable truth: While Donald Trump as President 45 turned out to be the best friend Israel ever had in the Oval Office, Joe Biden came through when historically Israel needed it most. Biden overtakes even Harry Truman who recognized Israel just eleven minutes after its declaration, against the threats to resign of his legendary Secretary of State George Marshall, and Richard Nixon who armed Israel when it was almost destroyed in the Yom Kippur War, against the delaying tactics of his Jewish Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, who died earlier this year. 

Against the wishes of at least half his own party, Biden stuck to the guns he sent Israel literally and armed the Jewish state while it’s been engaged in the greatest battle the Jewish people have ever fought since the destruction of the Second Temple 2,000 years ago.

US Vice President Kamala Harris said she would do everything she could to end the war in Gaza if she were elected as US president at a rally in Michigan on Sunday. 

"This year has been difficult given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza, and given the civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon," she noted, adding, "It is devastating." 

Harris further stated, "As president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza, to bring home the hostages, end the suffering in Gaza, ensure Israel is secure, and ensure the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, security, and self-determination." 

In September, Harris called for an end to the Israel-Hamas War and for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. 

Calls to KeepOlim's emotional support hotline "Tikva Line" have increased in recent months in part due to calls from Olim, who are anxious about the upcoming US presidential elections, according to line director Susan Cohen.

Cohen, who also directs Tikva - KeepOlim's mental health services department - explained that the line is "getting calls regarding  the US elections and how stressed out the Olim are over this."

Olim have shared fears concerning who will win the election and fears for family and friends who still live in the US, Cohen said.

"Many Olim are experiencing a lot of anxiety and fear over the US elections and been very vocal, they are fearful for Israel and the Jewish population in the US," she said.

Cohen added that it is "interesting to see and hear how passionate [Olim] feel about the US even though they no longer live there."

The US presidential elections will at long last take place tomorrow. 

Opinion polls show the two candidates – Vice President Kamala Harris, and former president Donald Trump – running neck to neck. Opinion polls in Israel show that if these elections were held here, well over 60% would vote for Trump and just around 20% for Harris.

The common answer one gets from Israelis who support Trump when asked about their choice is that “Trump is better for Israel.”

On the surface this appears to be a perfectly logical reply. However, I think that the proposition that Trump is preferable for Israel requires more serious examination.