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Newsom calls for conditions on US military aid to Israel
California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Saturday that US military aid to Israel should be conditioned during a campaign event in New Hampshire. Calling the war in Gaza “a moral catastrophe,” Newsom called for defensive systems to be distinguished from offensive weapons.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called for human rights conditions to be applied to US military aid to Israel. Speaking during a campaign event in New Hampshire on Saturday as part of preparations for a possible 2028 presidential bid, Newsom said this approach was gaining increasing acceptance within the Democratic Party.
Newsom cited settler violence in the West Bank and policies by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he said had weakened the possibility of a two-state solution. “Aid should be conditioned,” the California governor said.
The Gaza war and criticism of Netanyahu
Newsom argued that Netanyahu was isolating Israel from both the rest of the world and, increasingly, the American people. Describing the damage caused by Netanyahu as “incalculable,” Newsom called Israel’s war in Gaza “a moral catastrophe.”
The California governor did not specify which forms of military aid should be subject to conditions. However, he said a distinction should be made between defensive systems such as the Iron Dome and weapons intended for offensive use.
Reference to the Leahy law
Newsom said US aid should advance human rights principles and pointed to the 1997 federal Leahy law, which prohibits the US government from funding foreign military units when they are credibly implicated in gross human rights violations.
Democratic objections to arms aid
Newsom’s remarks came at a time when opposition within the Democratic Party to arms transfers to Israel was growing. Most Senate Democrats supported an attempt to block an arms sale in the spring. More than 100 House Democrats opposed a separate proposal in July.
Newsom said the election planned for October 27 in Israel could affect the debate over aid in the United States. He said the election result could play a role in political assessments of military aid.
Newsom’s previous stance on Israel
The California governor had previously criticized Netanyahu but continued to support Israel. Newsom visited Israel in 2023 and met with survivors of Hamas’ attack.
Newsom also expressed regret in March over describing Israel as an “apartheid state.”
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