Elon Musk Pledges to Wear Symbol of Gaza Hostages During Visit to Israel

Elon Musk's Visit to Israel

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, recently visited Israel after facing backlash on social media for endorsing an antisemitic post on his platform, X. During his visit, Musk toured the scenes of Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks and met with families of the hostages during a temporary ceasefire between the two sides.

The Symbolic Dog Tag

During his visit, Malki Shem-Tov, the father of hostage Omer Shem-Tov, presented Musk with an inscribed dog tag. Dog tags have become a symbol of the October 7 attacks in Israel. The tag given to Musk was inscribed with the words: "Our hearts are hostage in Gaza."

Musk's Response

In response to a video of the meeting shared by the Israeli president's office on X, Musk expressed his commitment by stating, "I will wear it every day until your loved ones are released." This gesture demonstrates Musk's solidarity with the hostages and their families.

Backlash Over Antisemitic Post

Musk has recently faced significant backlash for his response to an antisemitic post on X. In a post on the platform, Musk agreed with a user who made controversial comments about "Western Jewish populations." His response was widely condemned, with a White House spokesperson describing it as an "abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate."

Response from Major Companies

Following the controversy, major companies such as IBM have pulled their ads from X. A report from nonprofit Media Matters revealed that ads were running alongside pro-Nazi content on the platform. As a result, companies like Apple, Disney, and NBC have also followed suit and withdrawn their advertisements.

No Immediate Response from Musk's Representatives

Insider reached out to representatives for Elon Musk but did not receive an immediate response. It is important to note that the request for comment was made outside of normal working hours.

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By: bnolan@insider.com (Beatrice Nolan)
Title: Elon Musk Pledges to Wear Symbol of Gaza Hostages During Visit to Israel
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wears-dog-tag-symbol-of-gaza-hostages-2023-11
Published Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:10:56 +0000