(ConservativeInsider.org) – On Monday, January 22, tech billionaire Elon Musk visited the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland amid increasing concerns about antisemitic posts on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Responding to calls from Jewish leaders to witness the horrors of the Holocaust, Musk attended the infamous extermination camp. Following this, in a discussion with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro at an anti-semitism conference organized by the European Jewish Association in Krakow, Poland, Elon Musk mentioned that he identifies as “Jewish by association.”
Musk shared his sentiments about the visit, describing it as deeply touching, profoundly sad, and tragic that people could treat each other this way. He emphasized that as a student of history, he has seen pictures and videos, but the impact of witnessing it in person hits differently.
In November 2023, Musk faced criticism for a post on the platform in which he accused Jews of promoting hatred against white people. Musk’s amplification of a specific claim coincided with a surge in antisemitic content on X following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023. His post triggered an international uproar, prompting advertisers to leave the platform and drawing a public rebuke from the White House.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates stated that at the time, it was not acceptable to echo the false claim behind the worst act of anti-Semitism in U.S. history, especially just a month after the deadliest day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust.
In response to another user posting antisemitic tropes on November 15, Musk endorsed the claim, which more than 8 million users saw, and the post is still active. When Apple, IBM, and Walt Disney withdrew their ads from the platform, Musk labeled the advertising boycott as “blackmail” and consistently told advertisers to “(expletive) yourself.”
Later, Musk apologized for spreading the antisemitic conspiracy theory, admitting that it was one of the dumbest things he had ever done on the platform.
Elon Musk, along with his 3-year-old son and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, toured the Auschwitz-Birkenau site. They were part of the group representing the European Jewish Association, which included organization Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin and Holocaust survivor Gidon Lev.
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