Elon Musk: “Jewish by Association” After Auschwitz Tour

Elon Musk's Attendance at European Jewish Association Conference

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, recently attended a conference organized by the European Jewish Association. This comes amidst accusations of him posting antisemitic content on his social media platform, X. However, Musk claims that he is "naive" about antisemitism and asserts that he has numerous Jewish friends.

Elon Musk's Visit to Auschwitz and Conversation with Ben Shapiro

Accompanied by right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, Musk visited Auschwitz, the former Nazi death camp in Poland notorious for the systematic murder of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The visit was organized by the European Jewish Association, who later held a conference in Krakow, Poland. During a conversation with Shapiro, Musk discussed the rise in antisemitic activity.

Musk's Perspective on Antisemitism

Musk admitted that he was "naive" about antisemitism due to the fact that "two-thirds" of his friends are Jewish. He explained that he has twice as many Jewish friends as non-Jewish friends and jokingly referred to himself as being "Jewish by association" and "aspirationally Jewish." Musk expressed his surprise at hearing about antisemitism, as it is not a topic that arises in his friend circles.

Musk's Stance on Hate Speech

Musk also discussed what he referred to as "pro-Hamas rallies" on "elite college campuses" and expressed his belief that university students should not be fostering hate. It is worth noting that Musk's social media platform, X, has been criticized for allegedly promoting hate speech.

Criticism and Controversies Surrounding Musk

Musk has faced significant backlash for the content shared on X. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a report highlighting what they described as "virulent antisemitism" on the platform. Musk threatened to sue the ADL, denying the accusations of antisemitism. In response to this dispute, Musk referred to himself as "aspirationally Jewish." The ADL temporarily removed ads from X but later reinstated them, pledging to work with Musk to combat hate speech.

In November, Musk faced condemnation after endorsing a post on X that made derogatory remarks about Jewish communities and accused them of promoting hate against white people while using racist language against minorities. This post appeared to reference the "great replacement" theory embraced by white nationalists, which suggests that nonwhite populations will replace white populations.

As a result of these controversies, companies like Apple, Disney, and IBM decided to withdraw their advertising from X. Musk later apologized for the posts at the New York Times DealBook Summit but also expressed defiance towards advertisers.

Recent Visits to Auschwitz and Israel

Musk's visit to Auschwitz follows his trip to Israel in November. It is important to note that Musk has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding these recent events.

Source: Business Insider

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By: hgetahun@insider.com (Hannah Getahun)
Title: Elon Musk: “Jewish by Association” After Auschwitz Tour
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-jewish-by-association-after-auschwitz-tour-2024-1
Published Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2024 06:06:04 +0000