The tech billionaire has expressed support for Israel’s war against Hamas amid accusations of anti-Semitism.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, toured a kibbutz targeted by Palestinian gunmen during an Oct. 7 attack and expressed support for Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The visit comes at a time of controversy for Musk, who recently sparked outrage when he called out an anti-Semitic social media post that promoted the conspiracy theory that white people in the West are being “replaced” by immigration from the Global South with the help of progressive Jews. would, “the actual truth”.
After touring the decimated kibbutz of Kfar Azza with Netanyahu, Musk said in a conversation with the prime minister on Eliminate Hamas.
The trip comes on the fourth day of an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, during which Israel is repatriating dozens of prisoners in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
סיירתי עם אילון מאסק בקיבוץ כפר עזה כדי להראות לו מקרוב את הפשעים נ גד האנושות שביצע חמאס @elonmusk
(צילום: עמוס בן גרשום, לע״מ) pic.twitter.com/aipX6ryv7T
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 27, 2023
Musk is also scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose office said in a statement that it would “underscore the need to take action to combat rising anti-Semitism online.”
Critics said there were neo-Nazis and white nationalists on the social media platform during Musk’s tenure.
X Corp is currently suing the nonprofit Media Matters, saying it drove away advertisers by portraying the site as full of anti-Semitic content.
Musk has also threatened to file a lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, alleging that problematic and racist speech on the site has increased sharply since his $44 billion acquisition was completed.
Starlink agreement
When Musk arrived, Israel announced that it had reached an agreement “in principle” to use SpaceX’s Starlink communications channel in Gaza, where Musk had previously suggested using it to improve communications.
The deal marked a major shift for Israel, whose communications minister had previously rejected the idea of opening Starlink to Gaza, saying Hamas would use it for “terrorist activities.”
But on Monday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced that Israel had reached an agreement in principle that “Starlink satellite units may operate in Israel only with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including in the Gaza Strip.”
In an .
Elon Musk, I congratulate you on reaching an agreement in principle with the Ministry of Communications under my leadership.
Due to this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can operate in Israel only with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of…
— 🇮🇱שלמה קרעי – Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) November 27, 2023
X was a major source of information and debate about the Gaza war, with government officials and pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian users sharing content. But critics say it also increased misinformation, conspiracy theories and hateful content, including anti-Semitism, during the conflict.
After the Gaza war broke out on Oct. 7, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose nearly 400 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit organization.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a 216 percent increase in Islamophobic and anti-Arab incidents between October 7 and November 4.