In recent weeks, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has been embroiled in a heated dispute with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) regarding allegations of facilitating anti-Semitic content on his new social media platform, ‘X’.
On Thursday, Musk took a unique approach to address these claims during a chat with frum conservative author, Ben Shapiro. Highlighting his personal connections to Jewish culture, he referred to himself as “pro-Semitic.” Musk shared that he attended a Jewish preschool in South Africa, and also mentioned the Hebrew origin of his name, Elon, which he said means “oak tree.”
While discussing his Jewish ties, Musk humorously mused, “Now I don’t know if I’m sort of genetically Jewish or what. Maybe somewhere. But I’d say I’m aspirationally Jewish.”
He also sought to dispel the notion of merely using the defense of having Jewish acquaintances, stating, “I don’t have a Jewish friend. I think probably I have twice as many Jewish friends as non-Jewish friends. That’s why I think, in some respects, I think I am Jewish basically.”
Musk furthered his connection to Jewish culture and heritage, stating he has visited significant historical sites in Israel, such as the Kosel and Masada, emphasizing his two visits to the latter.
On a lighter note, when speaking of Jewish culture, Musk commented on the song ‘Hava Nagila,’ saying, “I wouldn’t say the Hava Nagila is the best… but it’s pretty, pretty good.”
The ADL was among the organizations that criticized Musk after his acquisition of Twitter. Post-acquisition, many content moderation staff were let go, leading to concerns about unchecked hate speech under Musk’s free speech doctrine.
Earlier in the month, Musk criticized the ADL, suggesting they were “trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,” while contemplating a lawsuit in response to the organization’s claims.
ADL responded in a statement noting, “Israel and Jews are frequently targets of hateful antisemitic and anti-Zionist invectives on Twitter/X. The measure of any conversations or policies is whether they decrease antisemitic hate on the platform.”
Musk took the recent Twitter Space conversation as a chance to shift the narrative. He noted consultations with his “Jewish friends” who did not identify any anti-Semitic content on platform ‘X’.
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5 Responses
let him take his aspirations and tell it to someone who cares…..his limited beingness in the space of Hashems world is awful, no marriage, children like popcorn and evil as can be. ….G-d forbid this man is even a speck of a jew
“who did not identify any anti-Semitic content on X,” what does that mean?! There’s tons of anti-Semitism there. Also, with all sue respect, famous Jewish rabbis, lawyers, and political pundits are not experts in anti-Semetism. The ADL and other organizations such as ISGAP and the University of Indian’s Anti-Semetism research center, have many experts who research the antisemitic orgins of various tropes, as well as monitor the various communication networks which are used to spread anti-Semetism. If someone posts a photo of an Israeli child killed by a rocket or a Ukrainian and says that they are Gazan, this is antisemitic misinformation and should be taken down. This has no place in the vaulted “marketplace of ideas.”
Stop bashing Elon Musk and fix the problems here at home. Everything that is happening to the Jews (us ) wouldn’t be if we respected each other. We are our own worst enemies, so stop pointing a finger and look at the four fingers that are pointing back at you.
Dear Author,
Excellent use of scare quotes here:
He noted consultations with his “Jewish friends” who did not identify any anti-Semitic content on platform ‘X’.
Two weeks ago Biden explained to us how he’s basically Jewish after being raised in a synagogue. I find Musk more compelling, since we all forget what the last owners said when they defended antisemitic postings and why it’s not (never) against the Terms of Service.