Elon Musk traveled to Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, touring the scene of a Hamas assault in a go to that appeared aimed toward calming the outcry over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X, the social media platform he owns.
Dozens of main manufacturers suspended their advertising on X after Mr. Musk this month agreed with a put up that accused Jewish communities of pushing “hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” The White Home denounced Mr. Musk for “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate.”
On Tuesday, after arriving in Israel, Mr. Musk wrote on X that “actions speak louder than words.” Carrying a flak jacket, he toured Kfar Azza, an Israeli kibbutz the place dozens of people had been killed in the course of the Hamas terrorist assault on Oct. 7.
Video shared by Mr. Netanyahu’s workplace confirmed the 2 males, accompanied by safety personnel, strolling by the village within the rain and inspecting the blackened ruins of a home. Mr. Netanyahu stated on X that he gave Mr. Musk the tour “to show him up close the crimes against humanity committed by Hamas.”
In a dialog with Mr. Netanyahu broadcast on X, Mr. Musk referred to as the go to to Kfar Azza “jarring” and stated he additionally had been proven footage of the Oct. 7 bloodbath that he discovered “troubling.”
Mr. Netanyahu spent the majority of the dialog explaining the rationale for the conflict in Gaza. Mr. Musk stated in settlement that it was necessary to “get rid of the ones who are hellbent on murdering Jewish people,” although he additionally added that it was necessary to attenuate civilian casualties within the enclave.
The X proprietor is predicted to satisfy in a while Monday with President Isaac Herzog of Israel.
Mr. Musk’s go to comes as he faces broader criticism for tolerating and even encouraging antisemitic abuse on his social media platform. He has attacked George Soros, the financier who’s a frequent goal of antisemitic abuse, and threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League, a rights group that has highlighted the rise in antisemitism on X.
The corporate has stated that concerns over antisemitic posts on the platform are overblown.
Israel additionally appeared to achieve an understanding with Mr. Musk over his proposal this month to deploy Starlink, the satellite internet service he owns, in Gaza for assist companies to make use of amid mobile and web blackouts. Palestinians have blamed Israel for the communications interruptions.
Israel’s communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, stated on Monday that Mr. Musk had consented to not open access to the system in Israel and in Gaza with out the permission of his ministry. “This understanding is vital,” Mr. Karhi wrote on X.
