’Only wish the best for humanity...’ defends Elon Musk on anti-semitism controversy

Billionaire Elon Musk denounced what he calls "bogus" media reports accusing him of anti-semitism. This response follows his recent endorsement of content on X that sparked outrage and led major advertisers like Apple Inc. to distance themselves from the platform.

"This past week, there were hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that I am antisemitic. Nothing could be further from the truth. I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, a social media platform he owns.

What was the controversy?

The controversy erupted after Musk agreed with a post asserting that Jewish people harbour a "dialectical hatred" of white individuals. The content of the tweet is believed to be widely used by white supremacist conspiracy theorists.

Musk's positive engagement with the anti-semitic post thus drew widespread criticism, including remarks from the White House and discontent from several Tesla investors. Corporate giants such as the Walt Disney Company also distanced themselves from X by pulling off all advertisements from the platform.

Musk's controversial statements came at a time when Islamaphobia and antisemitism are on the rise in the US amid the Israel-Gaza war.

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Notably, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman joined others in defending Musk's stance, writing on X: “Elon Musk is not an antisemite. I agree with Ben Shapiro’s assessment of the situation. It is remarkable how quickly the world stands ready to attack Musk for his shoot-from-the-hip commentary. Musk is not perfect, but the world is a vastly better place because of him.”

Ackman's post came after Musk posted a video by US politician Ben Shapiro who also supported Musk.

Official Statements

Both Musk and the company have issued statements after the fallout. While Yaccarino reaffirmed the platform's efforts against antisemitism and discrimination; Musk stated a strict policy against advocating genocide on the platform.

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Yaccarino wrote: “X has been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination. There’s absolutely no place for it anywhere in the world."

“At the risk of stating the obvious, anyone advocating the genocide of *any* group will be suspended from this platform," Musk wrote on X on November 17 evening.

Long List of Controversies

This isn't the first instance of Musk promoting a controversial speech. The world's wealthiest person, Musk had earlier accused the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the non-profit that works to fight antisemitism of primarily causing a 60 percent decrease in US ad revenue at X, without providing evidence.

Earlier in September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also urged Musk to "strike a balance" between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech after weeks of controversy over antisemitic content on Musk's social media platform X.