Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is set to visit Israel next week, particularly towns near the Gaza border that were targeted by Hamas on October 7. Musk is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit.
Amidst recent criticism for allegedly not adequately addressing antisemitism on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which Musk acquired in April 2022, he announced plans for a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against the media watchdog ‘Media Matters.’ Musk claims the organization misrepresented the user experience on X and undermined free speech.
In response to the conflict, Musk declared that X would donate all revenue from advertising and subscriptions related to the Gaza war to Israeli hospitals and the Red Cross/Crescent in Gaza. Musk emphasized the tracking of funds and welcomed alternative ideas for their allocation, emphasizing a commitment to caring for the innocent, irrespective of background.
Earlier, Musk expressed intentions to provide internet coverage to the Gaza Strip through his Starlink satellite project. This sparked objections from Israeli officials, with Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi vowing to resist such efforts. Musk, in turn, assured that if Starlink access is granted to Gaza, the company will implement “extraordinary measures” to ensure its use solely for humanitarian purposes.
