Elon Musk squeezed into a bulletproof vest to accompany Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a tour of a kibbutz ravaged by Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 as the tech mogul fights off claims that he’s antisemitic.
After scrambling to correct his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory with a series of X posts insisting he wishes “a prosperous and exciting future for all,” Musk is taking a trip to Israel that’s set to be jam-packed with meetings with Israeli leaders and the families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The 52-year-old Tesla and SpaceX CEO showed up in body armor that looked undersized for his 6-foot, 2-inch frame — alongside Netanyahu and a slew of military officials in Kfar Aza, where dozens of people were killed and many others were kidnapped.
Clips of the kibbutz showed a number of bullet casings inside in a YouTube video shared by the Prime Minister on Monday.
This was reportedly home of Abigail Edan, the four-year-old American dual citizen taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 and released on Sunday as part of a delicate cease-fire agreement.
Other footage showed Musk taking a photo on his iPhone of burnt-down homes, and joining a grim Netanyahu as he stepped into a home where the ceiling was littered with bullet holes.
On Monday morning, Musk and Netanyahu also held a 20-minute live discussion on X on the war, which more than 218,000 users tuned into.
Netanyahu started the conversation detailing the duo’s trip to Kfar Aza, located just three miles east of Gaza City, and a film they watched thereafter of the events of Oct. 7.
“It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre — or one of the scenes of the massacres,” Musk said.
“It was troubling in that movie especially to see the joy experienced by the people that were killing innocent civilians, including kids and babies. Defenseless people,” the billionaire added.
During the rest of his trip to Israel, Musk is slated to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as well as relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to discuss “the need to act to combat rising antisemitism online,” Herzog’s office said.
Musk is also expected to speak to Israel’s government officials about setting up Starlink communications in the Gaza Strip, which he proposed implementing last month as the region faces blackouts during the war.
At the time, Israeli Communications Shlomo Karhi objected, saying “Hamas will use it (Starlink) for terrorist activities.”
In an unexpected turn of events, Karhi said on Monday that Israel and Musk had reached an agreement in principle whereby “Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip,” Reuters reported.
The same sentiment was reportedly shared by Netanyahu when he last met Musk in California on Sept. 18.
The Prime Minister urged Musk to strike a balance between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech after weeks of controversy over antisemitism on X.
In the weeks since, Musk has come under himself over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory earlier this month.
Musk’s supportive response of the X post — which claimed Jewish communities promote “hatred against whites” — drew immediate outrage and condemnation, including from the White House.
Around the same time, left-wing news watchdog Media Matters for America published a report claiming X shows ads from major corporations like Apple, Comcast and IBM alongside pro-Nazi content.
The Musk-owned platform has since filed a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against Media Matters over its alleged quest to “drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.,” according to the court documents filed last week in Texas federal court.
“This past week, there were hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that I am antisemitic. Nothing could be further from the truth. I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all,” Musk posted to X earlier this month in response to the backlash.
And although he has yet to share posts on his visit to Israel, he tweeted on Monday: “Actions speak louder than words.”
Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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