Elon Musk visits Israel, meets with PM Netanyahu amid antisemitism accusations

LONGWORTH: ELON MUSK IS VISITING ISRAEL AS HE AND HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, X, FACE ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS.

MUSK’S ITINERARY INCLUDED A MEETING WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. ACCORDING TO NETANYAHU’S OFFICE, THE TWO TOURED A COMMUNITY THAT WAS ATTACKED BY HAMAS LAST MONTH. THEY ALSO LIVE STREAMED A CONVERSATION ON X.

MUSK AND X ARE IN HOT WATER OVER SEVERAL INCIDENTS FROM EARLIER THIS MONTH, WHICH PROMPTED ADVERTISERS TO FLEE THE PLATFORM.

ON NOVEMBER 15TH, AN X USER WROTE THAT JEWISH COMMUNITIES PROMOTE “HATRED AGAINST WHITES.” MUSK REPLIED WITH “YOU HAVE SAID THE ACTUAL TRUTH.”

FURTHER DOWN IN THE THREAD, HE FOCUSED MORE SPECIFICALLY ON THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE, WHICH WORKS TO COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM. WRITING, “THE ADL UNJUSTLY ATTACKS THE MAJORITY OF THE WEST.”

JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO OF THE ADL, CONDEMNED THE STATEMENTS ON X, WRITING: “AT A TIME WHEN ANTISEMITISM IS EXPLODING IN AMERICA AND SURGING AROUND THE WORLD, IT IS INDISPUTABLY DANGEROUS TO USE ONE’S INFLUENCE TO VALIDATE AND PROMOTE ANTISEMITIC THEORIES.”

NOT LONG AFTER MUSK’S CONTROVERSIAL TWEETS, A PROGRESSIVE NONPROFIT, MEDIA MATTERS, PUBLISHED A REPORT CLAIMING ADS ON X WERE PLACED SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH ANTISEMITIC CONTENT. IT INCLUDED SCREENSHOTS OF ADS FOR IBM, ORACLE, XFINITY, APPLE AND BRAVO IMMEDIATELY ABOVE OR BELOW POSTS TOUTING ADOLF HITLER AND THE NAZI PARTY.

X FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST MEDIA MATTERS. AND MUSK HAS SINCE COMMENTED ON STORIES REGARDING THE ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS, WRITING, “NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.”