Netanyahu urges Musk to curb antisemitism and 'hatred' on X

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Source: The Hill

Netanyahu urges Musk to curb antisemitism and ‘hatred’ on X

BY SARAH FORTINSKY - 09/18/23 5:05 PM ET

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged tech billionaire Elon Musk to curb antisemitism and hatred on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I know your commitment to free speech. I respect that because I think it’s an integral, it’s the foundational thing of democracies really, but I also know your opposition to antisemitism. You’ve spoken about it, tweeted about it,” Netanyahu said in a public conversation broadcast on X, which Musk owns.

“And all I can say is that I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to stop not only antisemitism — or roll it back as best you can — but any collective hatred of a people that antisemitism represents,” Netanyahu continued. “And I know you’re committed to that, I hope I hope you succeed in it. It’s not an easy task, but I encourage you and urge you to find a balance. It’s a tough one.”

Musk, who has described himself as a “free-speech absolutist,” has faced growing criticism from groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which have accused him of allowing antisemitic rhetoric to go largely unchecked on X. In a report published in May, the ADL found more than 5,000 examples from February of “virulent antisemitism” from accounts it tracked that were reinstated on X and described the platform’s content moderation policies as “inadequate.”

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Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4210551-netanyahu-urges-musk-to-curb-antisemitism-and-hatred-on-x/