‘You said what you meant’: Mark Ruffalo dismisses Newsom’s regret over Israel ‘apartheid’ remark

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Mark Ruffalo dismissed California Governor Gavin Newsom’s regret over calling Israel an “apartheid” state. In a post shared on X, Ruffalo urged Newsom to stand by his description and blamed outside billionaire influence for his backtracking.

The controversy began earlier this month when Newsom compared Israel to an apartheid state while promoting his book 'Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery' in Los Angeles.

Mark Ruffalo criticized Gavin Newsom’s remarks

According to his post on X, actor Mark Ruffalo pushed back on Gavin Newsom’s recent regret over his remarks about Israel. Ruffalo directly addressed him, writing, "Gavin, know where you stand and stand there." He added, "You said you what you meant. I don’t know what billionaire got in your ear but it’s not working for you." He concluded with a firm statement: "This is not how you are going to win. It’s Apartheid and it’s a Genocide. Today!"

His comments came after Newsom said he regretted using the term “apartheid” to describe Israel. Speaking to Politico, Newsom said he no longer believes the term is appropriate at present, but warned it could apply if Israel were to annex the West Bank.

“And that is a legitimate concern I have… that direction, if that vision and that direction of the far right that Bibi is indulging, that if they see the full annexation of the West Bank, then that’s not something — that’s a word you may hear others use,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

When asked whether he considers himself a Zionist, Newsom responded, “Do I consider myself Zionist? I revere the state of Israel. I’m proud to support the State of Israel. I deeply, deeply oppose Bibi Netanyahu’s leadership, his opposition to the two-state solution and deeply oppose how he is indulging the far-right as it relates to what’s going on in the West Bank.”

Gavin Newsom slams Israel’s role in the ongoing Iran conflict

Gavin Newsom compared Israel to an “apartheid state” on Tuesday, March 3. His comments came as he criticized Israel’s role in the ongoing conflict with Iran alongside the United States.

When asked whether the US should rethink its military partnership with Israel, Newsom said the situation concerns him. “It breaks my heart, because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path, where I don’t think you have a choice about that consideration,” he said.

He added that at a time when Americans are facing rising costs, the country’s involvement in a regional conflict raises serious questions that need to be discussed.

Newsom shared, "To say this in America’s interest at a time when affordability is at crisis levels, where you have an administration that literally got elected saying this is exactly opposite of what they would ever consider doing, the fact that we are in this regional war [with] all these proxies, all the grift and the corruption that also marks a huge part of this, that’s a real conversation we need to have."

Newsom also pointed to Netanyahu’s domestic challenges, including legal troubles and an upcoming election. He said, "He’s trying to stay out of jail. He’s got an election coming up. He’s potentially on the ropes. He’s got folks on the hardline that want to annex the West Bank. Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately, [as] sort of an apartheid state.”