On Monday, Israel stated that it had reached an agreement with Musk for using his SpaceX company's Starlink communications in the Gaza Strip.
Tesla CEO and Billionaire Elon Musk arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday on a two-day visit to Israel, which is battling a war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and talked about the Israel- Hamas war, the protests, Hamas and the Middle East. While Netanyahu said that he hoped Musk would contribute to building a better future, the two leaders also discussed security aspects of artificial intelligence and ways to combat rising anti-semitism online.
Musk supported Israel saying that one challenge was "ultimately stopping the propaganda that is convincing people to engage in, you know, murder". As Netanyahu asserted that Hamas must be destroyed in a live online chat, Musk replied, "There's no choice."
Offered help to rebuild Gaza
He added, “I'd like to help as well." He said that he’d like to help rebuild Gaza after the war, but it’s important to first “deradicalize” the Palestinian territories.
Toured places hit by violence
The billionaire also toured the Kfar Aza kibbutz where some of the worst violence took place on October 7, when Hamas entered through the country’s border and attacked civilians.Musk was seen in a protective vest and escorted by security personnel, and he took photos and videos of the devastation. He along with Israeli PM visited the homes of some victims, including Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl with dual Israeli-US citizenship who was TAKEN hostage by Hamas after her parents were killed. She was released in the recent series of exchanges during a cease-fire in Gaza.
New Deal
On Monday, Israel also stated that it had reached an agreement with Musk for using his SpaceX company's Starlink communications in the Gaza Strip. “As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip,” Shlomo Karhi, the Communications Minister of Israel wrote on X. He further called the understanding between him and Musk “vital" as it is for everyone who desires a “better world, free of evil and free of anti-Semitism, for our children's sake".
Why is the visit important?
Musk's visit to Israel is significant because social media platform X has earlier been criticized for failing to curb anti-semitic hate speech. Musk agreed with a post on X that claimed Jews were garnering hatred against white people, saying the user who referenced the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory was saying“the actual truth".
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 "Elon Musk talking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu")
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