Elon Musk on Monday (Jan 22) visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau site of a former Nazi German concentration camp, the European Jewish Association (EJA) announced. The private visit comes after recent criticism over endorsing an anti-Jewish conspiracy theory on his social media platform X. He later apologised also.
He was accompanied by EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, journalist Ben Shapiro and Holocaust survivor Gidon Lev. In the images posted by EJA, Musk was seen with his son on his shoulders.
In the past, the billionaire was also subjected to criticism over the proliferation of hate speech on X, since his $44-billion takeover of the social media site in October 2022.
The visit came moments before Musk’s scheduled address in the southern Polish city of Krakow, which is a short drive from the memorial.
The conference was aimed at addressing the rise in antisemitism since the Israel-Hamas conflict started in October.
This comes ahead of the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27 — a date that has become Holocaust Memorial Day.
History books have revealed that one million European Jews died at the camp built by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland between 1940 and 1945, along with more than 100,000 non-Jews.
The EJA said that senior political figures from European countries and Musk will meet in Krakow “to discuss and find solutions to the astronomical rises in antisemitism affecting Europe”.
The association further added that “this troubling trend” had been escalating since the Israel-Hamas war erupted.
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Musk’s take on antisemitism
During the conference, Musk said, “In the circles that I move I see almost no antisemitism. Two thirds of my friends are Jewish. I’m Jewish by association, aspirationally Jewish. I never hear about it at dinner conversations; it’s an absurdity in my friend circles.”
“But looking at the pro Hamas rallies that have taken place at almost every city in the west, it’s blown my mind. Including at elite college campuses. You’re supposed to be enlightened on those campuses, not fostering hate. I went to UPenn and thought, this is unbelievable,” he added.
Musk also said that “we need to stop with this idea that the weaker party is always correct. Just because you’re oppressed doesn’t mean you’re good. We have to get rid of the rule that if you’re weaker you’re automatically good”.
(With inputs from agencies)
