Israel, America and the Politics of Abandonment
California Governor Gavin Newsom has never been shy about courting the spotlight, but lately, his public appearances are raising more than a few eyebrows. Fresh off the release of his new book, and with whispers swirling that he’ll make a serious run for the White House in 2028, Newsom is making the rounds on the political talk circuit, eager to shape the national conversation. But last month it was his recent sit-down with the Pod Save America hosts that made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
On stage, Newsom didn’t just criticize Israeli policy, he went for the jugular. He labeled Israel an “apartheid state,” singled out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for especially harsh rebuke, and made it clear that, in his view, American military assistance to Israel should be on the chopping block. He even went so far as to pledge he would never accept a dime from AIPAC, casting himself as the standard-bearer for a new, more combative wing of the Democratic party. He has since backpedaled on the apartheid statement but his views remain very much against support for Israel.
What was most striking wasn’t just the rhetoric, but the conspicuous silences. Not once during that lengthy interview did Newsom mention any other global conflict or acknowledge the suffering of people elsewhere, say, the civilian casualties in Ukraine or the mass displacement in Syria. Most glaringly, he failed to mention Iran, a regime that has exported terror across the world for nearly half a century and which, even now, continues to fund proxies bent on Israel’s destruction. For anyone paying attention to the realities of the region, the omission wasn’t just curious. It was alarming.
This single-minded focus on Israel, as if it is uniquely deserving of condemnation, should concern all Americans, but especially Jewish Americans and Jews worldwide. Support for Israel, long a bipartisan consensus in Washington, is eroding at a pace few would have predicted even a few years ago. Poll after poll shows that public sympathy for the Jewish state is slipping, and not just among progressive Democrats. Even among Republican voters, who once could be counted on as allies, there are signs of fatigue and ambivalence that has increased since the current conflict with Iran began.
The implications are stark. If both major parties lose their bearings, if neither side is willing to see the world as it is and stand up for what is right, then the future for Israel’s relationship with America grows uncertain. We risk entering an era where moral clarity is replaced by moral equivalence, where the line between aggressor and victim blurs beyond recognition. That’s not just a diplomatic problem; it’s a strategic and ethical crisis.
It’s almost farcical, at times, to hear Israel described as an “apartheid state.” Anyone who has spent any time in Israel knows this label is as detached from reality as it is inflammatory. Walk into any hospital in Tel Aviv or Haifa, and you’ll find Jewish and Arab doctors working side by side, treating patients of every background. Israeli universities are filled with students of all ethnicities and religions. In the corridors of power, on the trading floors, and in the laboratories, Arabs and Jews alike help power Israel’s economy and society. This is not the stuff of apartheid, it’s the stuff of a vibrant, messy, and at times imperfect democracy.
Yet somehow, these facts are ignored or swept aside in the rush to score political points. It’s easy to condemn Israel, especially if you discount the horrors of October 7. But it’s worth asking: what would someone like Newsom do if he were president and America found itself under attack, with thousands of civilians killed or abducted by a terrorist group on its borders? Would he show more restraint? Would he be willing to expose his own citizens to further violence in the name of some abstract ideal?
The hard truth is that these conversations are not happening in a vacuum. Newsom isn’t alone in his views. He speaks for a growing faction in the Democratic party, and echoes of his arguments can be heard among a growing number of Republicans as well. There is a cynicism in the air, a sense that the old certainties have crumbled and in the near future that Israel will no longer be able to count on the unconditional support of its most important ally.
For Israelis, and for Jews everywhere, this is a moment of reckoning. The clouds are gathering. The days of relying on foreign aid or diplomatic guarantees may be coming to an end. If history teaches us anything, it’s that Jews have always had to be self-reliant, to innovate and defend themselves when others would not. Today’s threats require the same resolve. Israel must double down on developing its own defense technologies and weapons, not out of a desire for isolation, but out of necessity.
