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The California governor suggested that Washington may need to reconsider its relationship with the Jewish state.
By United with Israel Staff
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday accused Israel of moving toward becoming an “apartheid state,” marking a significant shift in tone from the pro-Israel statements he made following the October 7 Hamas massacre.
Newsom made the remarks during a public conversation in Los Angeles with podcaster Jon Favreau while promoting his new memoir. During the discussion, he was asked about the ongoing conflict with Iran and the United States’ support for Israel.
While criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s current government, Newsom suggested that Washington may need to reconsider its relationship with the Jewish state.
“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,” Newsom said.
The governor went further, appearing to endorse accusations frequently leveled by Israel’s harshest critics.
“He’s got folks, the hard line, that want to annex the West Bank,” Newsom said. “Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately, [as] sort of an apartheid state.”
The comments represent a notable escalation in rhetoric from the governor, who in the past has publicly emphasized his support for Israel.
Newsom also criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, saying he was “disgusted by what’s happened in Gaza… how this war has been perpetuated by Bibi Netanyahu.”
He pointed to humanitarian aid sent to Gaza by the state of California in December 2023 as part of his administration’s response to the conflict.
Newsom also took aim at U.S. policy toward Iran, criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize strikes against the Iranian regime and suggesting that Israel played a role in influencing the move.
“It’s pretty damn self-evident,” Newsom said, referring to the idea that the Israeli government had pushed for the military action.
The governor’s remarks come amid a broader shift in his public tone on Israel in recent months.
In February, Newsom criticized the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, saying he has never accepted campaign contributions from the organization and that he “never will.”
Just weeks earlier, however, Newsom had struck a far more supportive tone when speaking with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
“I’m crystal clear in my love for Israel,” he said at the time, while also emphasizing his “condemnation of Bibi.”
Following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, Newsom was among several U.S. governors who traveled to the country to show solidarity.
During a visit to Israel on October 20, 2023, Newsom said he had come “offering California’s support.”
One year after the massacre, he reiterated that his administration “stands beside Israel.”
His latest comments, however, appear to mark a sharp rhetorical departure, aligning more closely with arguments made by some of Israel’s most vocal critics.
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