Elon Musk tours Kfar Azza Kibbutz in Israel amidst Hamas attack

The owner of the social media site X and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, visited the Kfar Azza kibbutz in Israel on Monday after it was attacked by Hamas militants a month prior.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, accompanied the wealthy businessman, who has recently been under fire for allegedly harbouring antisemitic views on X.

One stop on the tour was the Kfar Azza kibbutz, a small rural town that was the focus of a tragic attack on October 7 by Hamas terrorists, sparking a bigger confrontation. With security officers surrounding him and him wearing a safety vest, Musk utilised his phone to take pictures and videos of the scene.

Footage of Musk's response to the destruction was made public by Netanyahu's administration.

Musk and Netanyahu paid victims' homes a visit, including the family of 4-year-old Abigail Edan, who holds dual Israeli and American citizenship and was taken prisoner by Hamas following the murder of her parents. In the most recent exchange, which took place in Gaza during a cease-fire, she was freed.

During an X Spaces chat with Netanyahu, Musk conveyed his dismay at the horrific scenes. The prime minister showed Musk certain videos and pictures, which alarmed him. "It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre," Musk expressed.

The topic of online antisemitism was not discussed, despite the fact that the discussion touched on many facets of the conflict, demonstrations, Hamas, and the Middle East.

In response to Netanyahu's wish that Musk would be involved in creating a better future, Musk said, "I'd love to help."

Moreover, Benny Gantz, a former defence minister who is currently a member of a special war Cabinet, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog were slated to meet with Musk. Government representatives withheld information on whether Musk was invited or arrived on his own.

Shlomo Karhi, Israel's minister of communications, had earlier on Monday announced a partnership between the government and Musk's Starlink satellite internet business. According to the agreement, Starlink satellite equipment can only be used in Israel—including the Gaza Strip—with permission from the Israeli Ministry of Communications.

“As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip,” Karhi wrote, without providing further details.

Elon Musk, I congratulate you for reaching a principle understanding with the Ministry of Communications under my leadership.

As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of…

— ??שלמה קרעי - Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) November 27, 2023

A review of the content on X has been prompted by Musk's alleged tolerance of antisemitic remarks, particularly during the most recent Israeli-Hamas conflict. A number of well-known companies, such as Disney and IBM, stopped running advertisements on X after it was discovered that the ads were running next to pro-Nazi and white supremacist material.

Musk's support of conspiracy theories that propagate antisemitic views was also widely denounced.

The trip to Israel comes after Musk and Netanyahu had a September meeting in California. Netanyahu voiced his hopes that Musk will figure out a solution to fight antisemitism while staying within the bounds of the First Amendment during that conversation. 

The most recent visit takes place in the midst of ongoing legal disputes between X and Media Matters, a nonprofit organisation based in Washington that has accused X of carrying posts that support the Nazi ideology and pro-Nazi content.

In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding X, Musk's visit to Israel highlights the more general difficulties in policing social media platforms in the face of hate speech and misinformation concerns.