Elon Musk, the tech entrepreneur accused of promoting anti-Jewish hatred on his social media platform X, is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog today. The meeting will also include Israeli individuals who have had their relatives held by Hamas in Gaza. The purpose of the meeting, according to Herzog's office, is to address the rising issue of online antisemitism.
Musk, who is known for his roles in Tesla and SpaceX, has not yet responded to requests for comment from spokespeople of both companies. His visit coincides with a four-day truce in the Israeli war with Palestinian Hamas militants, during which some of the hostages have been released.
There are reports that Musk will also have a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, although no official comment has been made by his office.
This isn't the first time Musk has been involved in controversies related to antisemitism. During a previous visit to California, where he met with Netanyahu, Musk faced protests from individuals opposing Netanyahu's government's actions. Furthermore, in November, Musk agreed with a post on X that falsely claimed Jewish people were driving hatred against white people.
This promotion of antisemitic content on X resulted in major U.S. companies such as Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, and NBCUniversal parent Comcast pausing their advertisements on the social media platform. The White House also condemned this act, denouncing it as "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate."
The "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory, referenced in Musk's agreement with the post, asserts that Jewish people and leftists are orchestrating the replacement of white populations with non-white immigrants. This theory has contributed to the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States and worldwide, particularly during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Musk has previously stated that X should be a platform for diverse viewpoints but will limit the distribution of posts that violate its policies. He refers to this approach as "freedom of speech, not reach."
Apart from his controversial social media involvement, Musk is also developing an artificial intelligence startup, xAI. Israel, with its advancements in computing and robotics industries, is considered a world leader in this field.
While the war continues, Israel's economy, previously expected to grow by over 3% with low unemployment, is now estimated to have slower growth around 2% in 2024. The shekel initially plummeted by 6% during the war but has since gained 8% against the dollar.
Overall, there have been efforts to address the issue of antisemitism, and Musk's meeting with the Israeli President aims to combat online hatred.
Gaza War: 17 hostages released by Hamas Israel frees 39 detainees from Palestine
