LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and influential figure in the tech industry, has ignited a firestorm on social media after agreeing with a controversial post on his platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Eyebrow-raising post
The post in question, shared by user @breakingbaht, on November 15, claimed that, "Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them."
The post also delved into the conspiracy theory of "hordes of minorities" flooding Western countries, a narrative that has troubling antisemitic undertones.
"I'm deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest s*** now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realization that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country don't exactly like them too much. You want truth said to your face, there it is," the user added.
Musk's response to the post was unequivocal. He stated, "You have said the actual truth." However, this endorsement quickly garnered attention and raised concerns over the propagation of divisive narratives on the platform.
Who is @breakingbaht?
The original poster, @breakingbaht, who identifies as 'The Artist Formerly Known as Eric' on X, provides a bio that includes roles such as father, husband, cyber security, server engineer, neuroscience, and psychology enthusiast.
There is limited information about the user since their X profile is 'protected' at the time of publication.
The antisemitic conspiracy theory referenced in the post aligns with narratives from online hate groups and echoes sentiments expressed by Robert Bowers, the convicted perpetrator of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue attack, the deadliest assault against Jews in American history.
In response to the backlash, Musk attempted to clarify his stance in subsequent posts. He mentioned that he does not believe hatred of White people extends "to all Jewish communities."
However, he went on to criticize the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), accusing them of unjustly targeting the majority in the West. Musk stated, "This is because they cannot, by their own tenets, criticize the minority groups who are their primary threat."
The context behind Musk's assertions remains unclear. Antisemitic incidents reached a record high in the United States in 2022, according to the ADL. While the organization attributed the increase to various factors and not a single group, it did highlight a doubling of antisemitic activity coordinated by White supremacist groups last year, as revealed in a March audit.
However, Musk implied that the ADL promotes racism against White people. “I am deeply offended by ADL’s messaging and any other groups who push de facto anti-white racism or anti-Asian racism or racism of any kind,” he said, adding, “I’m sick of it. Stop now."
Social media reactions
Reactions on social media were divided, with some users attacking Musk for his comments and accusing him of antisemitism.
"Wow. This is antisemitism, straight up," one posted on X.
"What are you talking about Elon? What he's saying about Jewish communities is false. The "actual truth"? What's wrong with you," another wrote.
"Have you no shame?" a comment read.
"This is beyond disappointing from you, again," another added.
Conversely, there were those who applauded Musk for his honesty.
"Thank you for standing up against anti-white racism and anti-Asian racism by name, @elonmusk: No one deserves hatred from organizations like the ADL or others who imply even more than they'll directly say, that these two groups of people are to blame for society's ills," one X user responded.
"Agreed! The racism towards White people needs to end now. Enough is enough," another reacted.
"I can’t agree with you more. I’m a white immigrant and I feel that for some reason what happened 200 years ago on this land I should feel guilty of and when I criticize anyone for their opinions and stands I must be a racist or a bigot. At this point, this anti-white agenda is very tiring," someone else offered.
"This is why Elon is being targeted. Racists are gonna racist and they will do everything to maintain their power," another chimed in.
The ADL, which has been critical of X since Musk took control over a year ago, reported surges in hate speech on the platform, findings that Musk has criticized or denied. Musk, in September, even threatened to sue the ADL for defamation, claiming that the organization's reports had hurt advertising sales on X.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt contends that Musk's statements against the group have amplified a campaign of antisemitic hate. Despite the tensions, the ADL announced in early October that it would resume its advertising campaign on X, aiming to convey its message against hate to the platform's users, CNN reported.
