From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Netanyahu rises to Elon Musk’s defense after X owner accused of performing Nazi salute
Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a message of support for Elon Musk after the X owner was accused of making a Nazi salute.
Musk “is being falsely smeared,” Netanyahu writes on X. “Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre… [and] has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s right to defend itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who seek to annihilate the one and only Jewish state.”
“I thank him for this,” Netanyahu adds.
Musk, who has been a vocal supporter and ally of US President Donald Trump, made a straight-armed gesture during the inauguration on Monday that many saw as a Nazi salute, though the ADL called it instead an “awkward gesture.” Musk has in the past shared white supremacist memes and theories on X that have drawn accusations of antisemitism.
