Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Monday, acknowledging Musk’s significant role in the fight against antisemitism while expressing concerns about hate content circulating on his X social media platform.
“We are inundated with antisemitism, and the hatred towards Jews impacts human behavior in many places around the world,” emphasized Herzog. Addressing Musk, he stated, “You have a very important role to play because the platforms you oversee unfortunately harbor a lot of hatred, hatred towards Jews, and antisemitism. I believe we need to discuss… how to combat this hatred.”
Earlier, Musk, the owner of the X social media network, visited a kibbutz attacked by Hamas in southern Israel alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders engaged in a brief conversation on the X platform, formerly Twitter, following their visit to Kfar Aza, one of the kibbutzim attacked by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7.
Netanyahu called for the demilitarization of Gaza following the destruction of Hamas and advocated for a campaign to “deradicalize” the Palestinian territory. The unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7 resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, prompting Israel to launch an offensive in Gaza that caused around 15,000 casualties, according to Hamas.
A temporary ceasefire, effective since Friday, will be extended for an additional two days, as announced by Hamas and Qatar, which mediated the negotiations between the Palestinian Islamist movement and the Israeli government.
Netanyahu also expressed the need to rebuild Gaza, hoping for support from Arab allies. While addressing accusations of antisemitism on the X social media platform, Netanyahu did not make any statements during his public remarks.
Musk has faced criticism for the proliferation of hate speech on the X network since taking control of the company in October 2022. The meeting between Herzog and Musk raises questions about the responsibility of social media platforms to address hate speech and promote global harmony.