Elon Musk claims he is 'aspirationally' Jewish amid antisemitism accusations

Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual and the owner of X (formerly Twitter) and Tesla, has tentatively agreed to visit Auschwitz following a heartfelt request from European Jewish Association (EJA) Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin on Thursday.

Musk shared his past, which had a number of Jewish connections. "I actually went to Hebrew preschool in South Africa when I was a kid. Now, I don't know if I'm sort of genetically Jewish or what but maybe somewhere. I am aspirationally Jewish."

This pivotal moment unfolded during a live discussion on Musk's X platform, where Margolin implored Musk "to walk there, to feel it, to understand it," and Musk, in reflection, offered a tentative yes to the proposal. This profound gesture comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Musk and the organized Jewish community, driven by a surge in antisemitism on his social media platform.

This significant meeting between Elon Musk and Jewish leaders unfolded against the backdrop of escalating tensions. Musk, the world's wealthiest individual and the visionary behind X (formerly Twitter) and Tesla, found himself enmeshed in a complex relationship with the organized Jewish community, driven by the surge in antisemitism on his social media platform.

Among the participants in the discussion with Musk were conservative media figure Ben Shapiro; Rabbi Ari Lamm, CEO of Bnai Zion; Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Natan Sharansky, former chairman of the Jewish Agency; Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, an author and social media influencer; Adv. Alan Dershowitz; Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman and founder of the European Jewish Association; Rabbi Manis Friedman, co-founder of Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies; and potentially Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, former president of Israel.

Notably, all the participants were men, and the majority leaned toward the conservative side of the political and social spectrums. While other heads of Jewish organizations were initially invited to participate, it remains uncertain whether the final invitations were withheld due to a lack of interest or as a strategic decision by Musk's team to maintain a small and intimate gathering.

Controversy leads to progress

This meeting was prompted by a series of controversial incidents involving Musk. Earlier that month, he had threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for billions of dollars and publicly endorsed a hashtag popularized by white supremacists. Musk's actions had sparked outrage, as he engaged with a white supremacist on X and endorsed the hashtag #BanTheADL, which gained traction among antisemitic users. The ADL later reported that neo-Nazi marchers in Florida were chanting “Ban the ADL.”

Last week, Musk's meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had raised questions about whether it was an attempt to salvage his public image. However, sources close to Musk clarified that this meeting had been planned months in advance, predating the dispute between ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Musk. 

Antisemitism had spiked on X since Musk took the helm. Research conducted by CASM Technology and ISD in March had unveiled a significant and sustained spike in antisemitic posts on X since Musk's acquisition of the company on October 27, 2022. 

In a poignant and pivotal development during this live discussion, EJA’s Margolin issued a heartfelt request to Musk. Margolin implored Musk "to walk there, to feel it, to understand it," referring to a visit to Auschwitz. Reflecting on the gravity of the Rabbi's appeal, Musk offered a tentative yes to the proposal.

The EJA, one of Europe’s most prominent Jewish organizations representing communities across the continent, is known for organizing combined symposiums and remembrance visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau. These visits serve a dual purpose: to pay homage to the victims of the Holocaust and to explore strategies for combating antisemitism while ensuring the enduring relevance of history's lessons.

In a statement released on Thursday, Margolin warmly welcomed Musk's tentative commitment to join the EJA delegation, which comprises several European leaders. Margolin underscored the transformative power of visiting Auschwitz, stating, "It is one thing to read a history book or view pictures, but to genuinely grasp the depths of antisemitism's horrors and the extent to which Jewish freedom was denied and obliterated, a visit to Auschwitz is a necessary and life-altering experience."

Expressing his hopes for the impact of the visit, Margolin said, "Mr. Musk has expressed his support for the Jewish people and for Israel. I believe that a visit to our ground zero will not only deepen his understanding of the battle against antisemitism and its significance but will also reassure Jewish communities worldwide that he is wholeheartedly committed to this fight."

He concluded with optimism, stating, "We eagerly anticipate transforming this tentative yes into a resolute commitment in the weeks ahead."

Bashing the ADL

The meeting had a number of the speakers bashing the ADL and its CEO. Shapiro mentioned a number of times that the ADL is actually causing hate online and that Musk was right for fighting against it.

He also said that in 2016, the ADL mentioned him as the person who received the most antisemitic remarks on Twitter, but that he actually since has felt less antisemitism, even more so since Musk purchased the platform and changed its name to X. "How do you maintain free speech principles in the face of attempts to do what ADL had been attempting to do… What sort of speech is allowed?"

Lamm, who moderated the second part of the meeting, added with the ADL bashing: "When I reflect on this topic as a whole, the question to me is less whether the ADL is good or bad or maybe just irrelevant.

"But my question is, how is it possible that we ended up in a situation where the vast majority of human beings certainly in the US, when they think of a Jewish Voice, a voice representing Jewishness, they probably think of Jonathan Greenblatt [ADL CEO] who, you could say he represents no more importantly to me, doesn't even pretend to play in the field of great Jewish ideas and texts."

Boteach also related to the ADL: “I appreciate the fact that instead of organizations like the ADL criticizing you, you have contributed significantly to advancing the importance of addressing issues related to children. This is especially crucial for the Jewish community, given that we are not a faith that actively seeks converts or has a missionary presence. To ensure the continuity of the Jewish people, we rely on growing our families because without it, the Jewish population could decline.”

Of the issue of hate and antisemitism on X, Musk said "We're trying to make the X platform a force for good for civilization. [...] And I felt it was increasingly a negative force." He answered a question by former president Rivlin about delegitimizing Israel’s right to exist and a Jewish state, “saying that Israel should not exist is just obviously absurd, outrageous, and certainly one of the most antisemitic things that could possibly be said.” 

Sharansky urged Musk to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. "The international definition of antisemitism, which I advocated for, recognizes the deep connection between traditional antisemitism and the demonization of the State of Israel. [...] It is crucial to combat both forms simultaneously," Sharansky said. Musk mentioned during the conversation that he would be willing to discuss the adoption of the definition.