In a significant departure from mainstream U.S. political discourse, California Governor Gavin Newsom has openly challenged the long-standing military partnership between the United States and Israel while criticizing the Trump administration’s coordinated operations with Iran. During a Tuesday appearance on Pod Save America in Los Angeles, Newsom expressed profound disappointment with Israel’s current leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When directly questioned by host Jon Favreau about whether Washington should reconsider its military support for Israel, Newsom responded with remarkable candor: ‘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.’ The Democratic governor notably endorsed commentary that appropriately characterizes Israel as ‘an apartheid state,’ particularly amid discussions about annexing the occupied West Bank.
Newsom’s critique extended beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to address the recent joint military operations between the U.S. and Israel against Iran. He sharply questioned the strategic wisdom of regime change objectives, noting: ‘We’re talking about regime change?… For two years, they haven’t even been able to solve the Hamas question in Israel.’
The governor’s comments emerge amid visible tensions within the Trump administration regarding Iran policy. President Trump contradicted Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s previous statements by claiming he ‘might have forced Israel’s hand’ into conflict with Iran based on negotiation assessments. This divergence follows Rubio’s justification that preemptive strikes were necessary to prevent higher U.S. casualties.
The human cost of these operations has been substantial, with local reports and witness accounts confirming over 1,000 civilian fatalities in Iranian territories, including more than 150 schoolgirls. Tehran has responded with retaliatory strikes against Israeli and U.S. military installations across the Middle East, escalating regional tensions significantly.