UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his condemnation of antisemitism “in all its forms,” including a careful criticism of Elon Musk. While US President Joe Biden and others have accused Musk of amplifying anti-Jewish hatred on his social media platform, Sunak stopped short of a full-throated condemnation. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Sunak stated, “Of course I abhor antisemitism…It doesn’t matter whether you’re Elon Musk or you’re someone on the street who’s shouting abuse at someone who happens to be walking past you, that’s wrong in all its forms. Antisemitism in all its forms is completely and utterly wrong.”
Musk faced backlash when he agreed with a post on his platform, formerly known as Twitter, that falsely claimed Jewish people are stoking hatred against White people. He referred to the user as speaking “the actual truth.” This led to several companies, including Disney, Apple, and Warner Bros, withdrawing their advertising spending. Biden’s office condemned the “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms.”
Sunak became entangled in the controversy due to his appearance with Musk at the UK’s AI Safety Summit. Although their discussion focused on technology’s impact on paid work, eyebrows were raised at the event, and Musk’s subsequent remarks on his platform raised questions about Sunak’s judgment.
When asked to condemn Musk during a session in the House of Commons, Sunak declined, instead using the opportunity to criticize the opposition Labour Party lawmaker’s understanding of the importance of technology sectors and companies to the economy.
In response to recent incidents of antisemitism, Sunak deemed them “unacceptable” and emphasized that the police are under orders to bring those responsible to justice. He stated, “We’ve been unequivocal from the start of this situation, that it is not acceptable in our society.”
On the same subject, Musk denied being antisemitic in a post on his platform, where he expressed his desire for the best for humanity and a prosperous future for all.
Furthermore, Musk is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Israel on Monday, according to Channel 12 TV.
