The Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) is deeply disappointed that the Governor’s Press Office posted, and then deleted, a social-media image depicting President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the characters from the film Dumb and Dumber in response to the White House photo of the two leaders following the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
The decision to post the image was an insult to the families of the freed hostages and to every Californian. That said, we are also disappointed in the Governor’s Office decision to erase the post. If the original post accurately reflected the views of the Governor and his team’s position on Israel, the hostage release, and the proposed Gaza peace plan, then we would encourage the Governor’s office to repost the meme and pin it to his profile for all to see.
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Governor Newsom's Press Office posted this on October 13, 2025 at 8:44 pm PDT.[/caption]
In mocking the leaders responsible for freeing hostages and advancing peace, the Governor also mocked the trauma felt by Jews and decent people around the world who continue to live with the pain of October 7 and its aftermath.
Posting such ridicule during Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah—the very anniversary of the October 7th attacks on the Hebrew calendar—was especially cowardly, as observant Jews are offline and unable to respond until the holiday's end.
In the meantime, here are some actual policies that could be accurately described as “Dumb and Dumber” making California less safe and more hostile to Jewish, Israeli-American, and other communities across the state:
- California’s K-12 and higher-education systems have become breeding grounds for antisemitic and anti-American activism. University administrators tolerate harassment of Jewish students while public-school curricula promote ideological bias instead of civic literacy. This breakdown of standards is only accelerating under Governor Newsom’s watch, driven by the outsized influence of the California Teachers Association and allied unions that have prioritized ideological campaigns over the welfare of students. The state government is more responsive to union power than to California students and families, demonstrating how Democratic leadership has chosen political control over genuine educational governance. Documented incidents span districts statewide — from Oakland Unified and Berkeley Unified to San Francisco, Campbell, Carmel, Los Angeles (UTLA), Santa Ana, and Pajaro Valley — where “anti-Zionist” lessons, staff trainings, and hostile climates for Jewish students have been reported and, in several cases, investigated or litigated.
- The same failures extend to the Capitol. AB 715, which began as a bill to define and combat antisemitism in California law, was stripped of that core language and converted into a generic “DEI” measure. Committee hearings and negotiations led by Senator Sasha Renée Perez and aligned “diversity” caucuses removed the definitional and enforcement provisions that would have addressed antisemitism directly, despite the Assembly’s earlier unanimous support. In his signing statement, Governor Newsom said he hoped the law would be watered down even further to address so-called "unintended consequences" of the bill.
- Finally, Proposition 50, Governor Newsom’s own initiative for the 2025 ballot, would dismantle California’s independent redistricting system and hand him and his allies direct control over congressional maps for one election cycle. This power grab would open the door for radical activists and candidates hostile to the U.S.–Israel relationship to secure seats in Congress, further eroding bipartisan support for America’s closest ally. ICAN opposes Prop 50 because it strips away transparency, replaces fair representation with partisan manipulation, and empowers ideological blocs that undermine both Israel and the United States.
These are the real issues facing California. They are not jokes. They are the product of choices that erode public safety, civic engagement, and the state’s overall standing.
ICAN urges the Governor to address the consequences of these policies instead of mocking those who have delivered results abroad. The release of Israeli hostages and the defeat of Hamas should be moments of gratitude and solidarity, not partisan ridicule. Californians deserve better.