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After saying that Israel was an apartheid state in an interview earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is now backtracking, saying that he regrets using that word.
But why the narrative reset when Israel is decidedly an apartheid state? Palestinians can’t use certain roads in their own towns. They can be detained without trial under the concept of administrative detention, whereas Israelis have a right to a fair trial. There is no other word for it.
Why would he walk back his statement? Could it be because more Americans expressed sympathies with Palestinians versus Israelis in a new Gallup poll? The number of Democrats who support Israel is especially low but this is the first time in recorded history that American sympathies for Palestinians outranked support for Israelis.
This could also be why Democratic candidates are rejecting AIPAC. It is not on principle. It is on optics. Newsom said he has never taken donations from the group and “never will.” Others are following suit; for instance, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) declared last week that he “wouldn’t take AIPAC money” anymore.
It seems Newsom was testing the waters with that apartheid comment, but he swam too far from the shore so now he’s flip-flopping. That’s who he is. Spineless.