Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and the social platform X, faced severe criticism this week for endorsing an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
Musk, who is known for his controversial statements, shared a post on X falsely alleging that members of the Jewish community were fueling hatred against white people. This post was perceived as a reference to a baseless conspiracy theory among White supremacists.
The endorsement led to widespread condemnation, with the White House calling it “unacceptable” and a “hideous lie.” High-profile advertisers, already concerned about hate speech on X, pulled their ads from the platform, including the European Commission, IBM, Apple, Disney, Comcast, Lionsgate Entertainment, and Paramount Global.
In response, Musk threatened to sue the media watchdog, Media Matters for America, whose report prompted the advertiser exodus.
Media Matters had revealed that ads from major companies were placed alongside content promoting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
As controversy over the pro-Nazi posts escalated, Musk announced new measures to address what he deemed “calls for extreme violence” against Israel. He declared on X that terms like “decolonization” and “from the river to the sea” were euphemisms implying genocide, and their use on the platform could result in suspension. These phrases are commonly used by activists advocating for a Free Palestine.
Musk’s stance aligns with the Anti-Defamation League’s position, a group that has been a target of Musk’s criticism in the past. The league views the mentioned phrases as coded calls for Israel’s destruction and praised Musk for his decision.
Despite Musk’s past claim of being a “free speech absolutist,” he now considers the disputed terms as clear hate speech meant to incite extreme violence. In a tweet, Musk emphasized that anyone advocating for the genocide of any group would be suspended from the platform.
