Musk faces backlash for promoting ‘anti-Semitic’ content

The owner of Twitter, X, agreed with a user who said that Jews were responsible for the “hordes of minorities” that flooded the US.

A significant advertiser has suspended its partnership with X (previously Twitter) in response to calls for Elon Musk, the platform’s owner, to resign amid accusations of anti-Semitism. The billionaire has faced criticism for endorsing a user who, according to many, was endorsing “Great Replacement Theory,” a tenet central to far-right American politics.

Musk maintained that he does not support anti-Semitic sentiment, despite earlier accusations that he tolerated anti-Semitic remarks on X. He did, however, take issue with Israel’s oppressive measures in Gaza earlier this month, saying that they would eventually breed more terrorists.

Musk claimed on Wednesday that a user on X had “spoken the actual truth” when he charged Jewish communities with harbouring “hatred against white people.” The message suggested that Jews are now “coming to the disturbing realisation that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country don’t exactly like them too much,” something the millionaire agreed with.

IBM “immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation,” the company said in a statement shortly after. It further stated that it “has zero tolerance for hate speech.” This is the IT giant.

READ ALSO: Musk will let Starlink to reach Gaza

Regarding Musk’s most recent remark, X staffers had also been receiving calls from other marketers, according to internal messages obtained by The New York Times on Thursday.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino allegedly sent out a memo to employees, trying to contain the damage, restating that “X is a platform for everyone” and that “discrimination by everyone should STOP across the board.”

The American Jewish Committee, however, referred to Musk’s endorsement of the assertion as a component of the “Great Replacement Theory,” which holds that populations of white Europeans are being replaced by ethnic minorities.

Tesla investor Ross Gerber wrote that he had been receiving a “flood of messages from clients wanting out of Tesla and anything to do with Elon Musk.” Facebook cofounder and CEO of Asana, Dustin Moskovitz, also called for Musk to resign from all of his responsibilities.

A number of other prominent figures in the IT industry and media promptly charged the CEO of Tesla with inciting anti-Semitism.

Musk asserted in September that he was, in fact, “aspirationally Jewish,” defying prior accusations.

The billionaire did, however, question Israel’s approach in Gaza last week.

Musk asserted on the Lex Fridman show that “if you kill somebody’s child in Gaza, you’ve made at least a few Hamas members who will die just to kill Israelis.”