Elon Musk arrived in Israel and visited with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, touring one of the communities impacted by the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7.
Musk has come under fire in recent weeks for reposting and agreeing with antisemitic sentiment on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Last week, an Israeli media outlet N12 reported that Musk was expected to visit Israel and meet with Netanyahu as well as Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog.
On Monday, Netanyahu posted a picture of him and Musk on X viewing some of the destruction in Kibbutz Kfar Aza after the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu wrote that this was intended to “show him up close the crimes against humanity committed by Hamas.”
סיירתי עם אילון מאסק בקיבוץ כפר עזה כדי להראות לו מקרוב את הפשעים נגד האנושות שביצע חמאס @elonmusk
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 27, 2023
(צילום: עמוס בן גרשום, לע״מ) pic.twitter.com/aipX6ryv7T
The Prime Minister’s official account on X posted conference room photos with Musk present, saying that a meeting was held after their visit to the kibbutz. According to the post, “The PM showed Musk sections of the film that was prepared by the IDF Spokesperson and which shows the horrors of the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and @ElonMusk held a meeting today, following their tour of Kfar Aza this morning.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 27, 2023
The PM showed Musk sections of the film that was prepared by the IDF Spokesperson and which shows the horrors of the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th. pic.twitter.com/4h5h4GNFfL
Additionally, Netanyahu and Musk then held an “extended meeting” on the security of artificial intelligence. “Senior security establishment officials in the fields of artificial intelligence and cyber participated in the meeting,” the post said.
Musk also visited the Israeli Knesset, seen in a photo with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana in the main parliamentary chamber.
Elon Musk is getting the full Knesset tour. Here he is with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana in the main parliamentary chamber.
— Carrie Keller-Lynn (@cjkeller8) November 27, 2023
Earlier he met with PM Netanyahu, watched a much-cited video of Hamas’ Oct 7 atrocities pic.twitter.com/8EDj7XYVkc
Not everyone was thrilled with Musk’s visit, however. The editor-in-chief of left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz Esther Solomon posted on X calling Musk a “blatant antisemite” and “publisher of antisemitism,” and saying he “should be persona non grata in Israel.”
“Instead, Netanyahu – plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy,” Solomon continued. “Profane, venal, bilious, both of them.”
Blatant antisemite & publisher of antisemitism Elon Musk should be persona non grata in Israel. Instead, Netanyahu – plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy – gifts him a PR visit to the kibbutzim devastated by Hamas. Profane, venal, bilious, both of themhttps://t.co/zGc10w8Y9H pic.twitter.com/XMkitJclUt
— Esther Solomon (@EstherSolomon) November 27, 2023
Earlier on Monday, the Minister of Communications for the Israeli Knesset Shlomo Karhi announced an agreement with Musk’s Starlink satellite technology. According to a post on X, Starlink “can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip.”
“As the State of Israel fights against Hamas – ISIS, this understanding is vital, as is it for everyone who desires a better world, free of evil and free of anti-Semitism, for our children’s sake,” wrote Karhi on Musk’s own platform.
Elon Musk, I congratulate you for reaching a principle understanding with the Ministry of Communications under my leadership.
— 🇮🇱שלמה קרעי – Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) November 27, 2023
As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of…
