Elon Musk Set to Meet Israeli President Amid Anti-Semitism Accusations
The owner of X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk, is scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Israel to discuss the growing issue of anti-Semitism on social media. The meeting, confirmed by the office of the President of Israel, will also include Israelis whose family members were taken hostage by Hamas during the recent deadly attack on the country.
President Herzog’s office stated that the focus of the meeting will be on combating rising anti-Semitism online. Reuters reported the statement, but Musk has yet to confirm his visit.
In addition to meeting President Herzog, Musk is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s Channel 12 even reported that Musk may visit Israeli settlements along the Gaza border, although critics argue that such a move is an attempt to salvage his public image.
Musk has faced criticism since his acquisition of Twitter and its subsequent rebranding as X. Mainstream media and rights groups have accused him of tolerating racist messages on the platform. Although Musk advocated for free speech and aimed to eliminate Twitter’s political bias, he has faced backlash for allegedly fostering an environment that enables hate speech.
Recently, Musk faced allegations of promoting an anti-Semitic trope when he expressed agreement with a user’s claim that Jewish people are stoking hatred against whites. The scandal prompted several major companies, including IBM, Disney, Paramount, and Apple, to withdraw their advertisements from the platform.
Musk has vehemently denied the accusations of anti-Semitism, vowing to take action against anyone advocating for genocide. In a post on X, he clarified that phrases like decolonization and the slogan from the river to the sea imply genocide and would result in a suspension on the platform.
Supporters of the Palestinian cause commonly use these phrases to criticize the State of Israel, arguing that it is a colonial enterprise. They hope for the entire land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River to form a future Palestinian state. Musk emphasized that explicit calls for extreme violence are against the platform’s terms of service and will lead to suspension.
Notably, Musk has previously discussed these issues with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who urged him to balance freedom of expression with the fight against hate speech. Musk even claimed to be aspirationally Jewish following their meeting.
As the meeting between Musk and Israeli officials approaches, the world will be closely watching for potential developments in the battle against anti-Semitism online. With accusations and denials flying, finding common ground and effective solutions will be vital in addressing this pressing issue.
