Elon Musk Visits Auschwitz Death Camp Following Antisemitic Post Backlash

Elon Musk, accused of allowing antisemitic content on his social media platform, X, made a significant visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp on Monday.

Prior to attending the European Jewish Association's antisemitism conference in Krakow, Musk made an unexpected visit. The billionaire, who acquired the platform in 2022, has faced allegations from prominent organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, for allegedly tolerating antisemitic messages on X, as reported by AP News.

In November, Elon Musk stirred controversy by responding to a user's claim about Jewish attitudes towards white people on X, stating, "You have said the actual truth." The White House condemned his post, leading to subsequent apologies.

Following the incident, major brands, including Disney and IBM, halted advertising on X after Media Matters reported ads appearing alongside pro-Nazi and white nationalist content. In response, X sued Media Matters for faking a report to harm the platform and drive away sponsors.

Elon Musk visited Auschwitz-Birkenau with Daily Wire podcaster Ben Shapiro. Barbed wire surrounds wooden barracks, a gas chamber, and a memorial to Nazi victims in Oswiecim, Poland.

The BBC reported that in a private tour with EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Ben Shapiro, and Holocaust survivor Gidon Lev, the tech mogul laid a wreath at the wall of death to honor Holocaust victims before a memorial service on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Musk Pledges To Address Antisemitism

His visit to Auschwitz coincides with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. In August last year, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum reprimanded X for its Holocaust denial post, underscoring the significance of moderation in fighting antisemitism.

Elon Musk, in his defense, affirmed his commitment to addressing online hate during a discussion with Rabbi Margolin, highlighting his pro-Semitic life story. At the Krakow conference, Elon Musk discussed online antisemitism with Ben Shapiro.

Amid backlash, Elon Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League over claims of increased problematic speech on X.

Concurrently, X is pursuing legal action against non-profit Media Matters, alleging the manipulation of data to tarnish the platform's image with antisemitic posts next to advertising. Elon Musk's visit to Auschwitz underscores his engagement in addressing the ongoing challenges of antisemitism, both online and globally.

During World War II, the Nazis and their collaborators perpetrated the murder of over 1.1 million individuals at Auschwitz. The majority of the victims were Jewish, with others comprising Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and diverse groups.

The Holocaust, claiming the lives of approximately 6 million European Jews, unfolded within this tragic context. Upon the camp's liberation by Soviet forces, around 7,000 survivors were discovered, per ABC News.

One Billion Humanoid Robots by 2040

Meanwhile, Elon Musk endorsed a tech leader's prediction of one billion humanoid robots on Earth by the 2040s and a hundred billion, mainly alien, robots in the solar system by the 2060s.

Responding on X, formerly Twitter, Musk agreed with David Holz, founder of AI research lab Midjourney. The tech billionaire remarked, "Probably something like that, provided the foundations of civilization are stable," as reported by Fox News.

Notably, Elon Musk's company, Tesla, has unveiled a humanoid robot prototype, indicating Musk's potential involvement in achieving the ambitious prediction within the next two decades.