New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk amid mounting criticism over a controversial gesture Musk made during a public speech. Some people on social media have called it a “Nazi Salute”. While referring to Musk as a “great friend of Israel”, Netanyahu praised the Tesla CEO for his support of country after the October 7 Hamas attacks.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu stated, “Elon Musk is being falsely smeared. Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He 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.” Musk had visited Israel shortly after the incident and expressed his backing for the country’s right to defend itself against Hamas.
.@elonmusk is being falsely smeared.
Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s… https://t.co/VkBptanDmp
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 23, 2025
Controversy during Trump’s inauguration
Musk, who also heads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sparked controversy during a speech while attending a celebration of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th US president on January 20. A video of his apparent salute was widely shared on social media platforms.
The billionaire has dismissed the allegations, attributing the uproar to what he described as “radical leftists”. In a series of posts on X, Musk criticised his detractors, writing, “The radical leftists are really upset that they had to take time out of their busy day praising Hamas to call me a Nazi. Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
Musk’s thank you note to Netanyahu
Musk’s role in the post-election celebrations, which included hailing the outcome as “no ordinary victory”, has further intensified debates around his public conduct.
Meanwhile, Musk acknowledged Netanyahu’s support by thanking him. Responding to his post, Musk wrote “Thank you”.
