‘Amoral Sycophancy’: Haaretz Editor in Chief Buries Netanyahu and Elon Musk for ‘Profane’ Photo Op
The editor-in-chief of Israel’s oldest daily newspaper made it abundantly clear she was not impressed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public embrace of controversial billionaire Elon Musk in the wake of his multiple anti-Semitism scandals.
The tech billionaire met with Netanyahu on Monday, and the Israeli prime minister’s office released footage of them on a tour through Kfar Azza, one of the Israeli communities devastated by Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel. Musk and Netanyahu also held a live chat on X (formerly Twitter before Musk bought it out), where the two conversed about the many atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians as Musk offered his disturbed reaction to the footage of the gunmen celebrating their wanton murder of innocents.
Esther Solomon, the editor-in-chief of Haaretz’s English edition, called out Netanyahu for giving Musk a PR “gift” in the wake of his amplifying an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
“Blatant antisemite & publisher of antisemitism Elon Musk should be persona non grata in Israel,” Solomon posted on X. “Instead, Netanyahu — plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy — gifts him a PR visit to the kibbutzim devastated by Hamas. Profane, venal, bilious, both of them.”
Blatant antisemite & publisher of antisemitism Elon Musk should be persona non grata in Israel. Instead, Netanyahu – plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy – gifts him a PR visit to the kibbutzim devastated by Hamas. Profane, venal, bilious, both of themhttps://t.co/zGc10w8Y9H pic.twitter.com/XMkitJclUt
— Esther Solomon (@EstherSolomon) November 27, 2023
Musk’s visit to Israel comes days after he was widely condemned for agreeing with an X post that claimed Jews fuel hatred against White Americans. X is currently facing a brand exodus and Musk has been criticized before for tolerating and, in some cases, amplifying anti-Semitic content on his social media platform.
Netanyahu has faced tough treatment from Haaretz even before October 7th. Since then, however, the prime minister has seen massive discontent domestically and received calls to resign after failing to prevent the attack. Netanyahu’s leadership is also contending with global demands for a ceasefire due to concerns about the unprecedented civilian death toll in Gaza.
