Elon Musk describes himself as ‘aspirationally Jewish’ as he pushes back on reports that X is spreading antisemitism

Elon Musk comments came after he threatened to sue the ADL, saying it had accused him of antisemitism.Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Elon Musk described himself as “aspirationally Jewish” in a recent interview where he discussed the fallout with the Anti-Defamation League over the spread of antisemitic content on X.

In an hour-and-a-half-long discussion hosted by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, Musk said that his “entire life story is, in fact, pro-semitic,” and pointed to his attendance of a Hebrew preschool and his multiple trips to Israel as reasons why he could not be antisemitic.

“I actually went to Hebrew preschool … I don’t know if I’m genetically Jewish, maybe somewhere, but I’d say I’m aspirationally Jewish,” he said.

“My father took me to Israel when I was 13. I went to the [Western] Wall, went to Masada – I’ve been to Masada twice, I don’t know if there’s many people who can say that.”

He later added that he has “twice as many Jewish friends as non-Jewish friends” and that as a result, “in some respects, I think I am Jewish basically.”

Musk is currently in a high-profile dispute with the Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish non-profit that combats antisemitism.

The Tesla CEO previously wrote on X that the ADL was depriving his social media platform of ad revenue “by falsely accusing it & me of being antisemitic.” He also threatened to sue the organization.

The ADL’s chief, Jonathon Greenblatt, said Musk’s behavior is “flat out dangerous and deeply irresponsible,” in a recent statement.

“Musk is engaging with and elevating these antisemites at a time when ADL is tracking a surge of bomb threats and swatting attacks of synagogues and Jewish institutions,” Greenblatt said.

A report from the ADL published earlier this year detailed rising levels of “virulent antisemitism” on X, and said that Musk’s changes to the site’s content moderation policies had helped hate proliferate on the platform.

X is also facing legal action from human rights nonprofit HateAid and the European Union of Jewish Students who say that the platform failed to remove antisemitic and Holocaust-denying posts even after they were reported. Musk has said that the level of hate speech on the platform has gone down since his takeover.

Elon Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

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