The CEO of X, Elon Musk visited Israel following an accusation of posting anti-Sematic posts on the platform. During the visit, Elon met with prime minister Bejamin Netanyahu.
Alongside Netanyahu, the tech tycoon also paid a visit to a kibbutz that was overrun by Hamas militants on October 7, resulting in 1,200 fatalities and initiating Israel’s most lethal military operation against Gaza. Israel’s demolition of the coastal enclave has resulted in the deaths of around fifteen thousand Palestinians.
Following his visit, which coincided with the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, Musk was alleged to have supported Israel’s war on Gaza. Musk additionally committed to refraining from granting internet connectivity to Gaza via Starlink, his satellite company, without the consent of Israel.
Why did Elon Musk visit Israel?
Musk’s trip to Israel coincided with a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The trip was prompted by criticism of a post on X that many saw as anti-Semitic, which led to a wave of big businesses, including Apple and IBM, removing their advertisements from the platform, possibly at X’s expense.
Musk endorsed a social media post earlier this month that claimed Jews were inciting “dialectical hatred” against White people. The White House in the United States criticized Musk’s comments, calling them “abhorrent.”
Musk has also come under fire for allegedly permitting big business adverts to appear next to content that supports white nationalism and neo-Nazi ideology.
The European Union is also looking into X’s dissemination of violent and false material regarding Israel’s war in Gaza.
Since taking over as CEO last year, Musk has either criticized or refuted reports from groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Center for Countering Digital Hate that claim X has seen a surge in hate speech.
After alleging that Media Matters manipulated an algorithm to alienate advertisers, X filed a lawsuit against the media watchdog.
The lawsuit has been deemed “frivolous” by the watchdog.
Where Elon Musk went and what did he say during his visit
During his visit to the Kfar Aza kibbutz, Musk was accompanied by Netanyahu and other security personnel. He was given a tour of the area that was attacked by Hamas fighters on October 7 and shown footage of the incident.
Musk also had the opportunity to meet with some of the families of individuals who were taken captive from Israel. In a conversation on X Spaces with Netanyahu, Musk expressed his shock at witnessing the aftermath of the attack. He emphasized that Israel has no other option but to take action against Hamas. Both Musk and Netanyahu agreed during the live-streamed discussion on X that Hamas must be eliminated.
This goal has been used by Israel to justify its military operations, which have unfortunately resulted in the loss of many civilian lives.
Netanyahu drew parallels to historical events, stating, “You first have to get rid of the poisonous regime as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan. Yeah, in World War II.” To which Musk replied, “There’s no choice. There’s no choice.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Musk during a meeting that he had a huge role to play in the global fight against anti-Semitism.
“We have to do whatever is necessary to stop the hate,” Musk replied, according to a statement released by Herzog’s office.
How come Netanyahu escorted him many weeks after requesting that he denounce anti-Semitism?
Regarding X space, Netanyahu stated that Musk’s trip to Israel demonstrates his support for Israel.
He remarked, “I think it says volumes about your commitment to trying to secure a better future that you came here.”
Reminding Musk that they had discussed artificial intelligence the previous time they spoke, Netanyahu said. Pointing to Israeli operations like the navigation app Waze and iPhone manufacture, he informed the tech CEO that “great talents are available” in Israel.
After weeks of uproar about anti-Semitism on X, Netanyahu met Musk again in California on September 18. During their meeting, the Israeli prime leader asked Musk to find a compromise between fighting hate speech and defending free speech.
In response, Musk reiterated his earlier claims that X will not support hate speech and declared his opposition to anything that “promotes hate and conflict” as well as anti-Semitism.
The visit on Monday was characterized by an Israeli government source as a follow-up to the September gathering.
Musk’s trip to Israel being criticized?
Some pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates are criticizing Musk’s visit to Israel. In a post on X, Esther Solomon, the top editor of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, denounced Musk’s trip as a “PR visit.”
Haaretz correspondent Ben Samuels also called Israel’s support of Musk a “betrayal of Jews” and a “stain on Netanyahu’s legacy” in an editorial article published on the news website.
In addition, Musk has been under fire on the internet for not going to Gaza in spite of the deaths and devastation caused by Israeli bombs there.
Musk’s decision to provide Gaza with Starlink internet
Musk and Israel came to a “in principle” deal wherein Starlink could offer internet connectivity to Gaza, but only if it uses Israeli-operated equipment and has the Israeli Ministry of Communications’ approval.
“Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza,” CEO Musk had stated in October.
Following its communications outage in October, social media users implored Elon Musk to grant internet connection through Starlink to the embattled region as Gaza descended into darkness.
The company provides internet connectivity via satellite technology rather than cable technology. During Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, the company helped the country during its own blackouts.
Many accused Musk of using “double standards” to Israel’s Gaza war because he granted Starlink access to Ukraine immediately.
Israel has previously argued that Hamas will exploit Starlink access for Gaza for “terrorist activities” and opposed its implementation.