Elon Musk calls for 're-education' of Gaza and elimination of Hamas on Israel visit

Elon Musk has called for the people of Gaza to be 're-educated' after meeting with Israeli leaders following pressure over 'anti-Semitic' posts on his social media platform X

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

28 November, 2023

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Musk's involvement in post-war plans for Gaza [Getty]

In a Monday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social media platform X, formerly Twitter, expressed support for "re-educating" the people of Gaza and eliminating Hamas.

He claimed that these were solutions to the current conflict.

Musk’s visit to Israel follows accusations that he allowed and endorsed anti-Semitic content on his platform, X. He also pledged to assist in Gaza's reconstruction post-conflict.

"These people have been fed propaganda since they were children. And it’s remarkable what humans are capable of if they’re fed falsehoods from when they are children," he stated.

"They will think that the murder of innocent people is a good thing. That is how much propaganda can affect people’s minds."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who Musk also met along with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, responded by welcoming Musk's involvement in Israel's future plans for Gaza. Herzog claimed that Musk’s presence in Israel was a strong indicator of his dedication to fostering a “better future” for the region.

Musk has been scrutinised, especially by Israel supporters recently, after endorsing an “antisemitic” post. Leading US companies such as Apple, Disney, and IBM have temporarily suspended their advertising on X.

Musk appears to have subsequently revised his stance amid the pressure, later saying that pro-Palestinian phrases linked to the Israeli assault on Gaza, like 'decolonization' and 'from the river to the sea,' would result in immediate suspension from X. He later made his way to Israel.

Musk's new pro-Israeli positions have drawn criticism from users of the platform, with the hashtag #ElonGotoGaza trending. Pro-Palestine voices have denounced Musk for stifling criticism of Israel amid its indiscriminate war on Gaza, which has killed around 15,000 people, mostly women and children, in a few short weeks.