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Edited by: Fern Sidman
Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, visited Israel on Monday where he toured a kibbutz attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7th and held talks with top leaders, the AP reported.
The billionaire met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a tour of the Kfar Azza kibbutz, a rural village that Hamas terrorists stormed in a deadly assault that left 1200 Israelis and others dead and which launched the war.
Wearing a protective vest and escorted by a phalanx of security personnel as rain fell, Musk used his phone to take photos or videos of the devastation, according to video released by Netanyahu’s office, the AP reported. Musk’s visit came as Israel and Hamas reached a deal to extend a cease-fire for two more days.
The Tesla CEO and prime minister visited the damaged homes of victims, including the family of Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl with dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship who was held hostage by Hamas after her parents were killed, as was indicated in the AP report. She was released Sunday in the latest round of exchanges during a cease-fire in Gaza set to expire after Monday.
“It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” Musk said in a conversation with Netanyahu streamed on X. The AP reported that he said he was troubled by video and photos that the prime minister showed him of the barbaric murders of civilians, including dozens of children.
They spoke broadly about the conflict, the protests it has generated, the Middle East and more but did not touch on anti-Semitism online. Netanyahu, who urged a rollback of such hatred in a September meeting with Musk, said he hoped the billionaire would be involved in building a better future, as was reported by the AP. Musk replied, “I’d love to help.”
On that note, CBS News reported last week that Musk said that X Corp. will donate any revenue the social media platform generates from advertising and subscriptions linked to the war in Gaza to hospitals in Israel as well as to the Red Cross in Gaza.
“We will track how funds are spent and go through Red Cross/Crescent. Better ideas are welcome. We should care about the innocent regardless of race, creed, religion or anything else,” the billionaire wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, according to the CBS News report. Musk in July renamed Twitter as X Corp. after his 2022 acquisition of the service.
Musk, who frequently uses X as a forum to share his views and his company’s accomplishments, added, “We should do whatever we can to build a better future for all.”
The Israeli president was joined in the meeting by some of the families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, according to a statement from Herzog’s office.
Israel National News reported on Monday that President Herzog said, “Welcome Mr. Musk. Your visit means a lot to us because the world is ever-changing and you are at the forefront of so many technologies and developments which look forward for humanity. On the other hand, you’ve seen how evil can supersede everything. You’ve seen it this morning, you’ve seen what hate can bring about, you’ve seen how thought turns into evil, into hate, and into bloodshed. It is so close. And whilst you look forward with the most advanced technologies on Earth, it is clear that the oldest disease in humanity, anti-Semitism, lurks underneath and impacts so many societies.”
INN reported that he added, “Unfortunately, we are inundated by anti-Semitism, which is Jew hatred. And Jew hatred impacts the behavior of human beings in so many places around the world. You have a huge role to play. And I think we need to fight it together because on the platforms which you lead, unfortunately, there’s a harboring of a lot of all the hate, which is Jew-hatred, of anti-Semitism. I think we need to discuss how to go forward and how to fight and combat this hate in order to make the world a better place, a safer place. It always starts with the Jews, it never ends with the Jews, and we must change this equation. And the examples you saw this morning are the examples that have repeated themselves throughout the ages. So I welcome this dialogue so that we can fight it together.”
Elon Musk thanked the President and said, “Thank you for having me. It was certainly an emotionally difficult day, to see the places where people were murdered. And also to watch the video where the murderers are rejoicing. Celebrating the murder of innocent people is extremely disturbing. So we have to do whatever we whatever is necessary to stop the hate. Essentially these people have been fed propaganda since they were children. And it’s remarkable what humans are capable of if they’re fed falsehoods, from when they are children, they will think that the murder of innocent people is a good thing. That is how much propaganda can affect people’s minds. So you know, I actually did talk with the Prime Minister. And I think there’s three things that need to happen in the Gaza situation, there’s no choice but to kill those who insist on murdering civilians. You are not going to change their mind. But the second thing is to change the education so the new generation of murderers is not trained to be murderers. And the third thing, which also very important is to try to build prosperity.”
The X owner responded that it had been a “difficult day emotionally” following the tour and that “we have to do whatever is necessary to stop the hate,” according to Herzog’s office.
Musk has faced accusations from the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish civil rights organization, and others of tolerating anti-Semitic messages on the platform since purchasing it last year. The AP also reported that the content on X has gained increased scrutiny since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October.
A slew of big brands, including Disney and IBM, decided this month to stop advertising on the platform after a report by liberal advocacy group Media Matters said ads were appearing alongside pro-Nazi content and white nationalist posts.
The billionaire, who has described himself as a free-speech absolutist, tweeted during his Israel visit that “actions speak louder than words,” the AP report said.
X has since sued Media Matters, saying the Washington-based nonprofit manufactured the report to “drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.”
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy declined to say whether Musk was invited to the country or came on his own. X, formerly known as Twitter, did not respond to a request for comment.
Israel also settled a spat with Musk over his Starlink satellite internet company, with Starlink agreeing to operate in Gaza only with government approval, as was indicated in the AP report.
“As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip,” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi tweeted.
The AP report also indicated that the two had tangled online previously after Musk promised that Starlink would support connectivity to internationally recognized aid groups in Gaza, drawing a rebuke from Karhi, who said Israeli would fight it because Hamas would use the service for Hamas terrorist activities.
