Gavin Newsom’s take on Israel’s future just got a wilder twist as his latest apology comes with a chilling warning about Netanyahu’s next move
Backtracking or clarifying?
California Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed regret over his previous description of Israel as an “apartheid state,” clarifying his comments were tied to a specific warning about the future direction of the region rather than its current situation. According to Fox News, Newsom made the initial controversial suggestion during a stop on his book tour in early March, which quickly sparked conversation.
Speaking with Pod Save America co-hosts Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor, Newsom was pressed about the US relationship with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Let’s talk about that,” Newsom said at the time.
The Governor said, “But the issue of Bibi is interesting because he’s got his own domestic issues. 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. I mean, [Tom] Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately — sort of an apartheid state.”
Newsom says his comment reflected a potential future scenario
When asked in a recent interview if he regretted using that description, Newsom explained the context. “I do in this context,” he stated. “I said it, and I referenced why I used it — a Tom Friedman article — in that same sentence where Tom used it in the context of the direction that Bibi is going.” He clarified that he was not referring to Israel’s current state. “Correct,” Newsom affirmed when asked if he meant “not the current state.”
Newsom emphasized that his concern, shared with New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, is “legitimate” if a particular vision comes to pass. “That direction, if that vision and that direction of the far right that Bibi is indulging, that if they see the full annexation of the West Bank, then that’s not something — that’s a word you may hear others use,” he explained.
Friedman wrote in a March column that Israel could become an “apartheid state” if Netanyahu wins Israeli elections this year, particularly as a result of the war in Iran. He penned, “If the war in Iran enables Netanyahu to win the Israeli elections planned for this year, it will be a major propellant to his efforts to annex the West Bank, cripple the Israeli Supreme Court and make Israel an apartheid state, which would be a major blow to American interests in the region beyond Iran.”
The California governor was also asked if he considered himself a Zionist during the interview. “Do I consider myself Zionist? I revere the state of Israel. I’m proud to support the state of Israel,” Newsom responded. However, he quickly pivoted to his strong disapproval of the current Israeli leadership.
“I deeply, deeply oppose Bibi Netanyahu’s leadership, his opposition to the two-state solution and deeply oppose how he is indulging the far right as it relates to what’s going on in the West Bank,” he added. Newsom’s interview also touched on President Donald Trump, who was depicted in the source material listening to Netanyahu address the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
