California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat widely seen as a likely presidential candidate, delivered sharp criticism of Israel this week, suggesting that the U.S. should reconsider its military support for the country, which he compared to an apartheid state.
Mr. Newsom’s comments reflect a stark shift in the Democratic Party, which in recent years has grown critical of Israel. While past party leaders were largely united in support of the U.S. ally, many prominent Democrats have taken a more combative stance.
Speaking at an event Tuesday to promote his recently released memoir with the hosts of “Pod Save America,” a political podcast, Mr. Newsom was asked if the U.S. should consider “rethinking our military support for Israel?”
“It breaks my heart, because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path where I don’t think you have a choice about that consideration,” he answered.
He said earlier in the discussion that some “are talking about it appropriately as sort of an apartheid state,” a charge Israel has strongly and repeatedly denied.
Public opinion polls have shown declining support for Israel among the American public, a trend that is especially stark among Democrats. While the center of gravity in the party has shifted, some remain staunch Israel supporters, creating a heated internal debate playing out in this year’s congressional primaries.
Mr. Newsom has for years been a firm supporter of Israel — flying there shortly after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, to meet with Israeli leaders and families of those who had been kidnapped or killed. But he has recently shifted his stance somewhat, emphasizing areas where he is breaking from the Israeli government and its allies.
He recently said he “never will” accept money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group that has become a dividing line among Democrats. While AIPAC’s super PAC has so far gotten involved only in federal races, it has drawn criticism for spending heavily in Democratic primaries.
Mr. Newsom’s comments show how support for Israel continues to be a divisive matter for the Democratic Party and will likely play a major role in the party’s 2028 presidential primary.
“We’re talking about regime change?” Mr. Newsom said Tuesday night, referencing the recent attack on Iran, carried out jointly by the U.S. and Israel. “For two years, they haven’t even been able to solve the Hamas question in Israel.”
He stressed that the Trump administration’s decision to attack Iran appeared to be heavily influenced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who pushed the president for months to strike.
“He’s got his own domestic issues,” Mr. Newsom said of Mr. Netanyahu. “He’s trying to stay out of jail. He’s got an election coming up. He’s potentially on the ropes. He’s got folks — the hard line — that want to annex the West Bank.”
Asked to clarify the comments, Izzy Gordon, a spokesman for Mr. Newsom, said that the governor “believes in Israel’s right to exist — and its right to defend itself. Period.”
He added that “the governor is calling out a difficult truth,” blaming Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu for “taking Israel down a course that threatens the safety of Israel — a democracy and America’s closest Middle East ally — as well as Israelis and American Jews.”
Jennifer Medina is a Los Angeles-based political reporter for The Times, focused on political attitudes and demographic change.
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