Newsom: Democrats' Condemnation Of Netanyahu 'Almost Universal' As Polls Show Growing Shift

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told PBS News' "Settle In" in an interview released Monday that criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become widely-held across the Democratic Party.

Newsom said Democrats have largely coalesced around concerns about Israel's current government, citing rising settler violence in the West Bank and Netanyahu's rejection of a two-state solution as drivers of the shift.

"The condemnation of what Netanyahu is doing is almost universal," Newsom told host Amna Nawaz. "There's no controversy within the party on that."

He argued that recent acts of violence by some settlers in the West Bank have prompted rare bipartisan rebukes in the United States, with some U.S. officials publicly denouncing the attacks as terrorism. Newsom said the U.S. should pursue a balanced approach: "We want a democratic and secure Israel, and we want a secure democratic Palestinian state as well, right next door."

Newsom also issued a sharp moral assessment of the conduct of Israel's military campaign in Gaza: "Even if you don't think it's a genocide, it's a moral catastrophe how things have been conducted," he said — while reiterating his support for Israel's existence and security.

Polls Show Rapidly Changing Democratic Views

An AP-NORC survey conducted June 11-17 of 3,040 adults (margin of sampling error ±2.8 points) documented a marked shift among Democrats since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the subsequent Israeli military campaign. The poll found that 58% of Democrats now say the United States is too supportive of Israel (up from 45% in January 2024), and 62% say the United States is not supportive enough of Palestinians (up from 49%).

On the question of whether Israel's military actions in Gaza constitute genocide, 52% of Democrats said yes, compared with 13% of Republicans; overall, 31% of Americans agreed and 49% said they did not know enough to judge.

AIPAC, Campaign Money And Party Debate

Newsom addressed intra-party debate over campaign donations tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). When asked whether accepting AIPAC funds is becoming a "litmus test" for Democratic candidates, he said opposition to taking AIPAC money is strong: "I think it's a minority of Democrats that are accepting AIPAC." Newsom has said he has never accepted AIPAC money and would not do so.

Reporting in The Hill notes that AIPAC's political network has spent heavily to support candidates it views as pro-Israel and to oppose candidates critical of U.S. policy toward Israel. One recent example cited in coverage: AIPAC-backed spending supported Rep. Wesley Bell in a Democratic primary victory over Cori Bush.

Newsom's interview underscores a growing rift between longstanding U.S. policy patterns and an increasingly critical Democratic electorate in the wake of the events that began in October 2023.

AP-NORC poll: June 11-17; 3,040 adults; margin of sampling error ±2.8 percentage points.