If Netanyahu continues down this path, apartheid is “a word you may hear others use,” the California governor said. Did you know that Truthout is a nonprofit and independently funded by readers like you? If you value what we do, please support our work with a donation. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing criticism for saying in a recent interview that he “reveres” Israel, just weeks after he labeled it as an apartheid state. “I revere the state of Israel. I’m proud to support the state of Israel,” Newsom said in an interview with Politico released on Tuesday, when asked whether he considers himself a Zionist. Newsom said that he is opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his “indulging” of the “far right as it relates to what’s going on in the West Bank” — an apparent reference to the Israeli government’s expansion of illegal settlements in the territory and widespread violence against Palestinians there. The interviewer, Jonathan Martin, then asked if the Democratic governor regrets using the word “apartheid” to describe Israel. “I do,” said Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate. He added “context” that, when he made that remark, he was referencing a recent article by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Newsom said that apartheid is “the direction that Bibi is going,” referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “Not the current state,” Martin said. “Correct,” Newsom replied. “If that vision and that direction of the far right that Bibi is indulging … if they see the full annexation of the West Bank then that’s not something — that’s a word you may hear others use.” Legal and human rights experts, including the UN human rights office and the International Court of Justice, have said for years that Israel has built a system of apartheid that systematically discriminates against Palestinians. Palestinians have long detailed how Israel’s apartheid system makes their lives hell. Newsom garnered headlines when, earlier this month, he said in an event with Pod Save America that “Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately as sort of an apartheid state.” The op-ed he references was published on March 2. In it, Friedman espouses support for the U.S. and Israel’s illegal war on Iran, praising Trump and Netanyahu for “finally” initiating action against Iran’s government and even throwing in a dig at the “campus left.” But he adds: “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.” Newsom similarly tried to draw separation between his support for Netanyahu and his support for Israel and its quest for dominance in the Middle East. During the Pod Save America event, he said that Netanyahu has issues domestically, including “folks on the hardline that want to annex the West Bank,” ignoring Netanyahu’s outright support for the policy. When asked by the hosts if the U.S. should consider ending military support for Israel, Newsom said that it “breaks my heart because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path” — ignoring the ongoing genocide in Gaza and de facto annexation of the West Bank that Israel has already committed. An urgent appeal for your support: 48 Hours to raise $21,000 Truthout relies on individual donations to publish independent journalism, free from political and corporate influence. In fact, we’re almost entirely funded by readers like you. Unfortunately, donations are down. At a moment when independent journalism is urgently needed, we are struggling to meet our operational costs due to increasing political censorship. Truthout may end this month in the red without additional help, so we’ve launched a fundraiser. We have 48 hours to hit our $21,000 goal. Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation if you can.