Elon Musk made a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp in Poland on Monday, ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27. He reflected on the profound impact of witnessing the Holocaust site firsthand, stating that the tragedy “hits you much more in the heart when you see it in person.”
Musk’s visit came in the wake of controversy surrounding his social media network, X, which has faced accusations of being a platform for antisemitism. Musk initially threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over these allegations, suggesting that they led to a decline in advertising revenue on the platform. However, he later retracted his intent to pursue legal action.
During his visit, Musk toured the Nazi site alongside his three-year-old son, conservative Jewish pundit Ben Shapiro (co-founder of the Daily Wire), and Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chair of The European Jewish Association. They paid their respects by laying a wreath at the wall of death and participating in a brief memorial ceremony.
Following the tour, Musk engaged in a live-streamed on-stage conversation with Shapiro. During this discussion, Musk asserted that his platform had the “least amount of antisemitism” compared to other social media platforms, citing external audits as evidence of their efforts to combat it.
Shapiro added to the conversation by pointing out issues on other platforms like TikTok, where he argued that the algorithm contributes to the spread of “pro-Hamas propaganda.”
Musk himself has faced criticism in the past for endorsing an antisemitic post. He acknowledged that he had been somewhat naive about the rise of antisemitism, given his personal experiences and relationships with Jewish individuals. He emphasized his close ties to Jewish culture, but admitted, “Sometimes I forget ‘Am I Jewish?’ I’m aspirationally Jewish.”
Musk’s previous visit to Israel during the conflict in late November left a strong impression on him. He witnessed the destruction caused by the conflict and expressed shock at the lack of remorse among some parties. He attributed this to intense indoctrination within Palestinian education and called for addressing the root of such indoctrination.
Both Musk and Shapiro drew parallels between antisemitic tropes and contemporary ideologies like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). They argued that such ideologies unfairly vilify successful individuals based on group identity rather than individual merit. Musk criticized the idea that weaker groups are automatically considered morally superior, emphasizing the need to discard this principle and evaluate each situation independently.
