Tesla CEO and right-wing billionaire Elon Musk attended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.S Congress, reportedly on Netanyahu's guest list.
According to Bloomberg News, the billionaire and X Corp executive was an attendee for the Israeli leader’s speech by special invitation, which comes amid a devastating assault on Gaza that’s killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians.
Musk has previously faced allegations of severe antisemitism and reportedly exempted a handful of far-right X accounts, including the Trump War Room and Libs of TikTok, from rules against the use of anti-Jewish slurs.
Still, the prime minister invited Musk to tour Israel in November of last year, despite Musk’s endorsement of a Tweet earlier that month that suggested that Jews push “hatred against whites.”
At least 120 members of Congress and Vice President Kamala Harris skipped the address, as the Netanyahu government faces internal pressure for its handling of hostages captured by Hamas on October 7th and international criticism, including charges of genocide, as nearly two million residents of Gaza have been displaced.
As pro-Palestinian and pro-hostage release demonstrators faced police crackdowns, Netanyahu slammed American protestors, including demonstrators on college campuses, who Musk previously signaled he would support deporting.
Musk, who tried to walk back a pledge to donate $45 million to Donald Trump, also lost billions in personal net worth on Wednesday as Tesla shed nearly 13% of its valuation amid falling earnings.
“I don’t prescribe to a cult of personality,” Musk, who recently deadnamed his transgender daughter, said, despite adding pro-Trump features to his X platform last week.
