Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Tuesday compared Israel to an “apartheid state,” arguing that its current leadership has pushed the United States toward a point where reconsidering military assistance may be unavoidable.
Appearing in Los Angeles to promote his new book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, the Democrat, widely seen as a front-runner in the 2028 presidential election, blasted both Israel’s leadership and the Trump administration’s recent strikes in Iran during an interview with Pod Save America host Jon Favreau.
Asked whether Washington should begin rethinking military support for Israel, Newsom said the trajectory of the conflict may soon force that debate.
“It breaks my heart,” Newsom said, “but the current leadership in Israel is taking us down a path where that consideration may become unavoidable.”
Newsom, who visited Israel shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, has been navigating a politically delicate issue for Democrats, especially as he emerges as a likely 2028 presidential hopeful.
He has previously noted that he has not accepted donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, while also underscoring California’s long-standing ties to Israel.
Newsom’s remarks are his most forceful positioning yet on one of the Democratic Party’s most politically fraught foreign policy issues, which exposed deep internal divisions during the 2024 presidential election and continues to split the party’s base heading into the next cycle.
He also sharpened his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“He’s dealing with his own political troubles. He’s facing legal challenges, an upcoming election, and pressure from hard‑liners who want to annex the West Bank,” Newsom said, adding that some observers “have accurately begun describing the situation as akin to apartheid.”
He also faulted Israel’s recent operations in Iran, which the U.S. supported and which included the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader.
“We’re talking about pushing for regime change?” Newsom said. “Meanwhile, they’ve been unable to resolve the Hamas issue in Israel for more than two years.”
California-based political veteran Garry South, who was in attendance Tuesday night and ran Newsom’s first gubernatorial campaign, told the Washington Examiner that Newsom’s comments drew wide applause.
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“He was treated like a rock star by a packed room, standing ovation at the end, and he was mobbed as he left the theater,” he said. “Democrats need to get used to the fact that Newsom speaks his mind, doesn’t mealy-mouth everything, calculating every word, like a lot of pols.”
The U.S. and Israel initiated military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, attacking Iran’s military, naval, and nuclear infrastructure, as well as the country’s leadership. Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on U.S. and allied targets in the region, including other Arab states. So far, nearly 900 people have died in the conflict.
