Elon Musk meets with Netanyahu during Israel visit
Elon Musk, the renowned tech entrepreneur, paid a visit to Israel, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During his visit, he toured a kibbutz that was targeted by Palestinian gunmen in an October attack and expressed his support for Israel’s military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Musk’s visit coincides with a period of heightened scrutiny for the billionaire, who recently drew criticism for endorsing an anti-Semitic social media post that promoted the conspiracy theory of white replacement. The post suggested that white people in Western nations are being systematically replaced through immigration from the Global South, with the assistance of progressive Jews.
Elon Musk visited a kibbutz in Israel that was attacked by Hamas, where he saw the damage caused by the attack. He said that he was shocked by what he saw and that he believes that Israel must take action to eliminate Hamas. This trip came during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was in place to allow Israel to recover kidnapped Israeli citizens in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Elon Musk will also meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog to discuss ways to fight online antisemitism. Critics say that Twitter, which Musk now owns, has allowed hate speech and anti-Semitism to spread on the platform. Some companies have even stopped advertising on Twitter because their ads were being shown next to content from neo-Nazis and white nationalists.
Musk’s social media company, X Corp, is suing the non-profit Media Matters because it claims that Media Matters has made it look like X Corp is full of anti-Semitic content. This has caused advertisers to stop advertising on X Corp. Musk has also said that he might sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that fights against hate speech, because the ADL says that X Corp has become more racist since Musk took over.
Starlink Agreement
When Musk got there, Israel said they had tentatively agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink for communication in Gaza. Musk had mentioned before that it could help improve communication in that area.
Israel used to oppose using Starlink in Gaza, fearing it could be used for “terrorist activities.” However, on Monday, Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced a change. He said they reached a preliminary agreement, stating that Starlink can be used in Israel, including Gaza, but only with approval from the Israeli Ministry of Communications. Karhi, in a message to Musk, expressed hope that Musk’s visit would lead to future collaborations and strengthen the relationship with the Jewish people and shared values.
X has played a crucial role in sharing information and sparking discussions about the Gaza war. Government officials, along with users supporting both Israel and Palestine, share content on it. However, some people criticize X for spreading misinformation, conspiracy theories, and hateful content, including anti-Semitism, during the conflict.
After the Gaza war started on October 7, there was a nearly 400 percent increase in anti-Semitism incidents in the United States compared to the same period the previous year, as reported by the ADL. Additionally, the Council on American-Islamic Relations noted a 216 percent rise in Islamophobic and anti-Arab incidents from October 7 to November 4.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
