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Fact check: Has Gavin Newsom expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement?
Executive summary
Gavin Newsom has not publicly expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement; available reporting and government actions through October 2025 show no statement endorsing BDS and include moves that indicate he has rejected efforts to broadly restrict speech about Israel and Palestine. No primary source in the supplied material shows Newsom backing BDS, and recent California legislative developments discussed in the reporting focus on curriculum standards and speech rules rather than any gubernatorial endorsement of sanctions or boycotts [1] [2].
1. Why the claim matters — politics, education, and the stakes that drive accusations
The allegation that a sitting governor supports BDS carries political weight because BDS is a polarizing policy position tied to international diplomacy, civil liberties, and domestic constituency politics. The supplied coverage centers on California laws about how schools teach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation of an Office of Civil Rights and an antisemitism prevention coordinator to oversee balance in curricula, not on any gubernatorial embrace of economic or political sanctions against Israel [1]. The debate documented in the sources is primarily about classroom content and censorship concerns, with critics warning that certain ethnic-studies materials portray Israel as a colonial state, and proponents arguing for factual accuracy; none of those articles attribute BDS support to Newsom [1].
2. What the most relevant documents actually say — vetoes, offices, and curricular rules
Reporting shows Governor Newsom vetoed California Senate Bill 771, described by advocates as a measure that would have suppressed certain speech about Israel and Palestine, which indicates he has acted to reject expansive speech-restricting legislation rather than to endorse boycotts or sanctions [2]. State-level changes noted in the coverage include a new law requiring that lessons about Israel be “factually accurate” and the establishment of an antisemitism prevention coordinator and state civil-rights office to handle complaints and guidance — institutional responses aimed at balancing curricula and tracking antisemitism, not at promoting BDS [1]. These are regulatory and speech-governance steps, distinct from endorsement of boycott campaigns [1] [2].
3. What supporters and critics are saying — competing narratives about intent and effect
Critics in the articles argue that some ethnic-studies curricula may portray Israel in explicitly colonial terms and omit discussion of antisemitism, framing curriculum reform as necessary to prevent bias; advocates counter that ethnic-studies requirements and teaching should include marginalized perspectives and factual nuance. The coverage references other elected figures and activists—such as Zohran Mamdani’s positions on Zionism and education—illustrating that debates about Israel, Zionism, and BDS are active across the political spectrum, but the supplied material does not connect those actors’ stances to Newsom’s personal endorsement of BDS [1]. The contested terrain is educational framing and free-speech boundaries rather than gubernatorial adoption of a boycott policy [1].
4. What is missing or unproven — the absence of direct evidence and the space for mischaracterization
The most important factual gap is the lack of any quoted statement, press release, or official action by Governor Newsom that explicitly endorses BDS. The supplied sources repeatedly cover curriculum laws, vetoes of censorship-style bills, and legislative sponsors like members of the Legislative Jewish Caucus pushing AB 1468, but none provide primary evidence of Newsom supporting a boycott, divestment, or sanctions campaign [3] [2]. When political actors and media discuss BDS, conflation between critique of Israeli policies and formal support for BDS frequently leads to misattribution, a dynamic visible in the discourse around ethnic-studies content and legislative responses in the cited coverage [1].
5. Bottom line and where to look next — how to confirm or refute future claims
Based on the documents and reporting provided through October 2025, there is no verified record of Gavin Newsom expressing support for the BDS movement; his notable actions include vetoing SB 771 and overseeing laws about curricular accuracy and antisemitism prevention, which align with regulating educational content not endorsing boycotts [2] [1]. To definitively confirm future claims, examine direct statements from the governor’s office, official press releases, signed proclamations, or sponsorship of legislation that explicitly calls for economic or political boycotts—none of which appear in the supplied sources. Absent such primary evidence, attributing BDS support to Newsom would be unsubstantiated [1] [2].