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After visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. TSLA and SpaceX, declared himself “aspirationally Jewish.”
What Happened: As reported by The New York Times on Monday, during his visit to Auschwitz, Musk lit a candle in memory of the millions of Jews who died in the Holocaust. He was accompanied by Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the chairman and founder of the European Jewish Association.
At a conference on antisemitism organized by the association in Krakow, Musk admitted to being “somewhat naive” about the dangers of anti-Jewish sentiment. He also stated that he is “aspirationally Jewish” and that he has been trying to atone for his previous actions.
Why It Matters: Musk was scheduled to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp as part of a two-day event aimed at addressing the rising tide of antisemitism. This visit was organized by the European Jewish Association and was intended to raise awareness about the increasing antisemitism in Europe.
The visit and his subsequent declaration of being “aspirationally Jewish” come in the wake of a series of controversies surrounding his stance on antisemitism.
Musk has faced criticism from the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups in the U.S., who accuse him of allowing X to become a platform for antisemitic hate speech. In an interview last year, Musk revealed that he spent time at a Hebrew preschool and an Anglican Sunday school when he was young, despite not being Jewish.
Despite his attempts at atonement, Musk’s actions have not quelled the criticism from Jewish groups. A study last year found that antisemitism spiked on Twitter after Musk purchased the platform and relaxed safeguards against hate speech.
Image via Shutterstock
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