Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has faced accusations of amplifying anti-Jewish hatred on his social media platform X, is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Israel today, according to Channel 12 TV. A source from Israel confirmed Musk’s visit, while spokespeople for Tesla and X (formerly known as Twitter) have yet to comment.
Musk’s visit coincides with a four-day truce in the ongoing Israeli war with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza. This isn’t the first time Musk and Netanyahu have met, as they previously had a meeting in California on September 18. During that encounter, Netanyahu urged Musk to find a balance between protecting free expression and combating hate speech, particularly in light of the controversy surrounding antisemitic content on X.
In response, Musk stated his opposition to antisemitism and anything that promotes hate and conflict. He reiterated that X would not tolerate hate speech. However, during his November 15 post on X, Musk agreed with a user who propagated the false claim that Jewish people were fueling hatred against white people. The user referenced the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which suggests that Jewish people and leftists are orchestrating the replacement of white populations with non-white immigrants, leading to a “white genocide.”
This endorsement by Musk led to major US companies such as Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, and NBCUniversal parent Comcast pausing their advertisements on X. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have been on the rise in the United States and globally, including during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Anti-Defamation League reported a nearly 400% increase in antisemitic incidents in the US since the outbreak of the war.
Musk has maintained that X should be a platform for diverse viewpoints, but the company will limit the distribution of posts that violate its policies. He describes this approach as “freedom of speech, not reach.” In addition to his involvement in X, Musk is also developing an artificial intelligence startup called xAI. Israel is considered a leader in the field, thanks to its flourishing computing and robotics industries.
Aside from the diplomatic aspect, Musk’s visit holds economic implications for Israel. The country’s economy, previously projected to grow over 3% this year with low unemployment, is now estimated to grow around 2% due to the ongoing war. However, the shekel has gained 8% against the dollar, returning to pre-war levels, and stock prices have rebounded following a significant drop last month.
It remains to be seen how Musk’s visit will impact the ongoing controversy surrounding X and its handling of hate speech. The tech entrepreneur’s statements and actions will likely be closely scrutinized by civil rights groups and the public alike.
