Montclair High School students have more complex and varied opinions on President Joe Biden than may have been previously expected. Many of those opinions are centered around Biden’s age and handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Some Jewish students said they were not sure where Biden and the Democrats stand on the Israel issue, and stated that this was a decisive point for them. Batsheva Shimelfarb, a ninth-grader, was unsure whether to support Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the presidential election. 

“The Democratic Party has been unclear on whether they stand with us or whether they won’t” Shimelfarb said, in reference to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Shimelfarb said she will remember that Biden placed an arms embargo on Israel.

Economic Issues were also raised by students. Biden’s impact on the country has been overwhelmingly negative, said Harry Brown, a ninth grader.

“He has made inflation sore,” Many students no longer have faith in Biden’s mental ability to serve in the highest office. “[Biden] was fit, but he is not fit anymore. There has been a severe mental decline.” Brown said. 

Shimelfarb agrees. She said that Biden is “not fit, as shown in the debate.”

Brown’s main issue with Biden has to do with a perceived habit of caring for other countries over the United States. When asked about Biden’s response to Israel, he said, “I think the U.S. shouldn’t be involved in that. Joe Biden has had a very negative impact in terms of inflation and I think the country was better under Trump.” 

Both students praised his stepping down from the presidential race, with Shimelfarb calling it “his best decision” while in office.

He will be remembered as senile or “as the old gentlemen who couldn’t be president,” Shimelfarb said.