Elon Musk visits village Hamas terrorists stormed on Oct. 7 with Israeli Prime Minister
Billionaire Elon Musk visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is expected to meet with the families of hostages as accusations of antisemitism on his social media platform, X, grow.
Musk has received backlash from the Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish civil rights organization, and others 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.
The Office of Israel's President stated Netanyahu and Musk toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza Monday morning. The area is where Hamas terrorists made their way in on October 7 in a deadly assault that launched the war.
Early Monday morning Musk posted on X, "Actions speak louder than words."
Musk wore a protective vest as he was escorted by Netanyahu and security personnel.
According to video released by Netanyahu's office the Tesla CEO and prime minister visited the homes of some 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. She was released Sunday in the latest round of exchanges during a cease-fire in Gaza that is set to expire after Monday.
"It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre," Musk later said in an with Netanyahu. Musk said he was troubled by video and photos that the prime minister showed him of the killings of civilians, including children.
They spoke broadly about the conflict, the protests it has generated, Hamas, the Middle East and more but did not touch on antisemitism online. Netanyahu said he hoped Musk would be involved in building a better future, to which the billionaire replied, "I'd love to help."
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.
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 content and white nationalist posts. It came the same week Musk endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory that drew outcry, including from the White House.
Musk responded on X this month to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and professing indifference to antisemitism by posting, "You have said the actual truth."
X has since sued Media Matters, saying the Washington-based nonprofit manufactured the report to "drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp."
Monday's visit is not the first time Musk and Netanyahu have met. Netanyahu came to California in September, telling the Tesla CEO that he hopes Musk can find a way to roll back antisemitism and other forms of hatred within the limits of the First Amendment.
Editor's Note: The Associated Press contributed to this post.
