Elon Musk's Meeting with Israel's President Amidst Controversy Surrounding Antisemitic Post
Elon Musk to meet Israeli President Herzog amid controversy over antisemitic post; Advertisers flee
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to meet with Elon Musk on Monday as the billionaire faces backlash for his public endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on his social media platform, X. Musk is scheduled to meet with Herzog behind closed doors during his visit to Israel, where the president will emphasize the importance of combating online antisemitism, according to the president's office.
The president's office announced that representatives of the families of hostages held by Hamas would participate in the meeting to share the harrowing experiences of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, as well as the continued suffering and uncertainty of those held captive.
Musk did not respond to requests for comment through X or two of his other prominent companies, Tesla and SpaceX, which have ceased regular communications with the media following Musk's acquisition of the social platform and Tesla's dissolution of its public relations team in 2020.
The billionaire's trip to Israel follows his recent agreement with the assertion that Jewish communities promote "hatred against Whites," which resulted in criticism from the White House and a significant departure of advertisers from X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
A post on X earlier this month accused Jewish communities of promoting the same type of hateful rhetoric against whites that they oppose. The post also mentioned a popular antisemitic conspiracy theory about "hordes of minorities" infiltrating Western countries.
In response, Musk said: "You have said the actual truth."
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is seen reacting during a conversation with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London on Thursday, November 2, 2023. The discussion, which took place on the social network X owned by Musk, focused on AI. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)
Elon Musk has supported an antisemitic post by X, which promotes the unfounded belief that Jews are orchestrating the spread of hate against White people and aiming to diminish White majorities in Western countries by bringing in undocumented minority populations. This baseless conspiracy theory is often circulated by online hate groups.
In later posts, Musk clarified that he did not think that hatred toward white people extended to all Jewish communities. However, he criticized the Anti-Defamation League for unjustly attacking the majority of the West while not criticizing minority groups who pose a primary threat.
The comments, which align with an increase in hate crimes against Jews and Muslims in the US, were quickly denounced by human rights groups and politicians. Musk has denied allegations of racism, stating last week that any claims of him being antisemitic are completely untrue.
Advertisers fleeing
X is facing a challenge that cannot be overlooked. The situation has quickly become a significant problem for the company, causing a substantial commercial impact with numerous major brands pausing their advertising expenditures as of last Wednesday. These brands comprise Disney, IBM, Fox Sports, and even the European Commission.
Prior to the recent upheaval, X had already been under fire for the rise of antisemitic discussions on its platform. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Center for Countering Digital Hate had both noted an increase in hate speech on X over the past year, although Musk had either dismissed or refuted these findings.
In September, Musk went as far as threatening to sue the ADL for defamation, contending that the group's reports had negatively impacted advertising sales on X.
In Bletchley, Britain, on 01 November 2023, Elon Musk (C) was in attendance at the AI Safety Summit 2023 at Bletchley Park. The UK government prompted the two-day summit due to concerns about the upcoming release of powerful artificial intelligence models next year. These models are expected to have capabilities that even developers may not fully understand, raising fears within the government.
Chris J Ratcliffe/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Here are the dozen brands that have paused ads on X amid ongoing crisis for Elon Musks platform
In recent times, the organization has noted a significant rise in antisemitic posts on X, especially since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in early October.
X has refuted similar accusations made by the progressive media watchdog Media Matters, which recently highlighted antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X in an analysis.
In retaliation, X has filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, alleging that the organization distorted the likeliness of ads appearing alongside extremist content on the website. Additionally, X has urged its advertising partners to safeguard what it refers to as "freedom of speech."
During a lull in hostilities with Hamas, Musk's visit to Israel took place. Within the initial three days of a ceasefire, Hamas has freed a total of 58 hostages, mostly women and children, in exchange for 117 Palestinian prisoners. Furthermore, Hamas has expressed a desire to prolong the ceasefire.
During an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Sunday, Herzog expressed mixed emotions as he witnessed freed hostages reuniting with their families. "It's a moment of happiness, but also one filled with sorrow, as there are still at least 200 hostages out there," Herzog told Blitzer.
Herzog suggested that the truce could be prolonged, citing the initial agreement which stated that an additional day of ceasefire would be granted for every 10 hostages released. However, he emphasized that it was Hamas' responsibility to release more hostages.
