Newsom calls for cease-fire in Gaza
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a cease-fire in Gaza on Thursday in an open letter to California’s Muslim, Palestinian American and Arab American communities amid mounting pressure on Democrats to condemn Israel’s widespread bombing in the region.
“I condemn the ongoing and horrific loss of innocent civilian life in Gaza,” Newsom wrote. “I support President (Joe) Biden’s call for an immediate cease-fire as part of a deal to secure desperately needed relief for Gazan civilians and the release of hostages.”
Though Newsom has previously expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and has condemned discrimination of Muslims and Arab Americans, the letter marks his most public and comprehensive statement on those issues.
In the letter, Newsom acknowledged instances of Muslims in California and across the country being targeted in an uptick in vitriol against their community as the war rages. He also repeated his condemnation of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants against Israelis.
Newsom traveled to Israel shortly after the attack and met with several top officials in Tel Aviv, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Newsom’s administration has sent aid, including medical supplies, to both Gaza and Israel.
Newsom’s letter comes shortly after Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have become more vocal in pushing for a cease-fire.
Newsom, a close Biden ally, has stayed essentially in lockstep with the president’s positions on the war and has said he coordinates closely with him on international issues like Gaza.
A U.S.-backed resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” was voted down at the United Nations on Friday after Russia, China and Algeria voted against it, arguing that it did not adequately call Israel out for alleged war crimes in the region. The United States had blocked previous cease-fire resolutions.
Gaza stands on the precipice of famine amid intense Israeli bombing since the Oct. 7 attack, when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 Israelis and took roughly 250 hostages — about 100 of whom are still missing — back into Gaza. The Israeli bombardment in response has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Democrats including Newsom have faced intense pressure from many of their party’s voters to call for a cease-fire. In December, Newsom made the Capitol’s annual tree-lighting ceremony virtual amid safety concerns over protests. That prompted harsh criticism from the organizers of a proPalestinian rally who had planned to protest the governor at the in-person ceremony over his stance on the war.