'Musk, embroiled in anti-Semitism controversy, finally heads to Israel'

Struggling to Manage Growing Controversy Amid Advertiser Exodus

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who sparked controversy with his 'anti-Semitic' remarks, is visiting Israel on the 27th (local time) to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This move is seen as an effort to quell the controversy after advertisers have consecutively left X (formerly Twitter), the social networking service owned by Musk himself, and even the White House publicly criticized him.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to local Israeli media and foreign reports on the 26th, Musk plans to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu the following day. He will also meet with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog and families of hostages held by Hamas.

The Israeli President's office stated that President Herzog and Musk will emphasize the need for action to counter the widely spreading anti-Semitism online.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office has not officially confirmed the meeting between Netanyahu and Musk. However, Netanyahu met Musk during his visit to the United States in September to attend the United Nations General Assembly and urged him to "find ways to limit anti-Semitism and hatred." Accordingly, the two are expected to express shared concerns about anti-Semitism and discuss measures to prevent it.

On the 15th, Musk faced strong backlash after commenting "You spoke the actual truth" on an X post related to an 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theory' claiming that the Jewish community incites hatred among white people. The Jewish community's backlash was accompanied by an official statement from the White House condemning Musk's remarks. Major American companies such as Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery protested by halting advertising on X. Some Tesla shareholders also demanded that Musk step down as CEO temporarily.

There are increasing concerns that X is spreading more fake news related to the Israel-Hamas war compared to other social media platforms. As the controversy escalated, Musk dismissed the claims, saying, "Hundreds of pseudo-news articles have been published claiming I am anti-Semitic," adding, "This is far from the truth. I only wish the best for humanity, prosperity, and a bright future for all."