Newsom Regrets Israel Apartheid Remark, Clarifies Intent

California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed regret on Tuesday for describing Israel as an apartheid state during a podcast appearance earlier this month, clarifying that his remark referred to the country's potential future direction under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than its current policies.

Newsom made the original comment on March 2 while promoting his new memoir at an event in Los Angeles with hosts of the "Pod Save America" podcast. Responding to questions about U.S. ties with Israel, he referenced a recent opinion piece by New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, who warned that Netanyahu's potential reelection amid ongoing regional conflicts could accelerate efforts to annex the West Bank and transform Israel into an apartheid state. "Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately, as sort of an apartheid state," Newsom said at the time, adding that Netanyahu faced domestic pressures, including from hard-line factions pushing for West Bank annexation. He suggested the U.S. might need to reconsider military support for Israel given the trajectory of its leadership.

In an interview published Tuesday by Politico, Newsom addressed the backlash that...