Elon Musk visits Israel to meet with leaders as accusations of antisemitism on X mount

Billionaire Elon Musk will meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Billionaire Elon Musk will meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Copyright Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Copyright Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
By Associated Press
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Billionaire Elon Musk is visiting Israel on Monday to meet with the country's leaders as accusations mount of antisemitism on X (formerly Twitter).

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Tech mogul Elon Musk, who's been under fire over accusations of antisemitism flourishing on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), paid a visit to Israel on Monday where he toured a kibbutz that was attacked last month by Hamas militants and was set to meet with top leaders.

The billionaire and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the Kfar Azza kibbutz, which was stormed by Hamas militants on October 7. 

Musk, wearing a protective vest and escorted by a phalanx of security personnel, used his phone to take photos or videos of the devastation, according to video footage released by Netanyahu’s office.

Musk also was due to meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog and Benny Gantz, a former defense minister who's now part of a special war Cabinet.

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy declined to say whether Musk was invited or came on his own. X did not respond to a request for comment.

Israel's communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, tweeted earlier on Monday about a deal that his ministry had reached with Musk's Starlink satellite internet company.

"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," Karhi wrote, without providing further details.

Musk has faced accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on the platform since purchasing it last year, and the content on X has gained increased scrutiny since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

A slew of big brands, including Disney and IBM, decided to stop advertising on the platform after a report by liberal advocacy group Media Matters said ads were appearing alongside pro-Nazi material and as Musk endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Musk responded on X this month to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and professing indifference to antisemitism by saying, "You have said the actual truth".

Netanyahu last met with Musk in September, when he told the Tesla CEO that he hoped he could find a way to roll back antisemitism and other forms of hatred within the limits of the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

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