 Over 100 Jewish leaders on Tuesday signed on to an open letter labeling X owner Elon Musk an "antisemite" and a "danger" to Jews for allowing too much free speech on his social media platform.
The Jewish leaders, who have organized under the "X Out Hate" campaign, call on "all companies and governmental organizations engaged in business with Musk to end their relationships with his various companies" for not censoring enough to their liking and promoting antisemitic myths about "Jewish power."
Additionally, they call on both Apple and Google to ban Twitter/X from their app stores.
Elad Nehorai, the organizer of the letter, told The Hill the purpose of the letter is "to push for advertisers and app stores to pull their support."
I've reprinted the full letter from "X Out Hate" below (emphasis added):
We are a group of rabbis, leaders of Jewish organizations, artists, activists, and academics. We have diverse ideologies and beliefs, but we have come together to address the danger Elon Musk and X represent to Jews and others.
As Jewish leaders of all backgrounds, current and former leaders of Jewish organizations, artists, and activists from all over the country, we have watched in horror as a new stage in antisemitic discourse has spread like wildfire on one of America's largest social media networks. All of this has been facilitated and enabled by its owner: Elon Musk.
We are speaking of course of X (formerly Twitter), which since his takeover has become a breeding ground for some of the most dangerous antisemitic discourse in America. It has made fringe figures mainstream, spread conspiracy theories that endanger Jews, reinstated neo-Nazis and other antisemites, and destroyed the content moderation that once kept things like Holocaust denial and hate speech minimized.
Just as bad, Musk has himself engaged in antisemitism and promoted other antisemites to his more than 155 million followers. We are alarmed by his targeting of the ADL: not because of our views of the organization (we represent a wide range of views, including some who fundamentally oppose the ADL as well as staunch supporters), but because of the way he has used the organization as a very clear stand in for an antisemitic representation of Jewish power.
But his behavior has a long history going back to his purchase of Twitter. The list is long, but some of the most egregious examples include:
1. His taking part in the #BanTheADL hashtag, a campaign that was started by neo-Nazi figures like Nick Fuentes. His first engagement with the campaign was with another neo-Nazi, Keith Woods.
2. Spreading overt antisemitism, such as the false idea that "65% of Jewish college students support censorship."
3. Repeatedly engaging with and promoting antisemitic accounts.
4. Engaging in antisemitic conspiracy theories, such as linking George Soros with the Rothschilds as well as the Great Replacement conspiracy theory.
5. Reinstating some of the most vicious antisemites in America and beyond, including Andrew Anglin (founder of The Daily Stormer, one of the largest neo-Nazi publications in America) [Ed note: he was banned months ago] and David Icke (popularizer of the Jews as lizard people conspiracy theory).
The result: antisemitic discourse has doubled on X. And since the measurements were taken before Musk's recent outbursts, it's likely that number has continued to rise.
In short, X has become a breeding ground for antisemitism and represents one of the largest dangers to Jews in years. If something does not change, we know what will happen: hate speech and radicalization are always the precursor to violence.
We are deeply disappointed in the failure of media organizations and others in telling this story. Often, his claims about the ADL and other conspiracy theories are taken at face value. The context of his antisemitism is practically ignored. His history and the danger he presents are, in essence, whitewashed. That needs to end. We are here to tell the story others have ignored.
Finally, we call on all companies and governmental organizations engaged in business with Musk to end their relationships with his various companies. Partnering with a man who spreads neo-Nazi ideology should be the exact opposite of what they stand for.
In particular, we call on:
1. Disney, Apple, Amazon, and other large advertisers to stop funding X through their ad spend.
2. Apple and Google to remove X from their respective app stores, per their own rules.
Elon Musk has shown a refusal to back down from the danger he poses to Jews and other minorities and vulnerable communities. Appealing to him directly, as the ADL and others have, has been an abject failure. Outside pressure that hits him where it hurts is the only effective measure. Not doing so will mean the further spread of extremism and antisemitism. Those don't just threaten Jews: they threaten a free society and all those affected by the conspiracy theories tied to antisemitism.
Signed by:
(Affiliations listed for identification purposes only)
Max Socol, Campaigns Director, Progressive Maryland
Rabbi Drew Kaplan
Alex Winter
Rabbi Joshua Stanton
Alan Schwartz, Chair Emeritus, A Wider Bridge
Luc Bernard, Director, The Light in the Darkness
Etan Nechin, Journalist
Jacob Labendz
Eva Borgwardt, Political Director, IfNotNow
Dov Waxman, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair in Israel Studies, UCLA
Arthur Slepian, Founder, A Wider Bridge
David Hazony, Editor, Jewish Priorities
Rabbi Amitai Fraiman
Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, JJ Greenberg Institute for the Advancement of Jewish Life
Eli Valley
Rabbi Shimon Brand
Rabbi Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
Rabbi Daniel Silverstein
Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Carol S. Stern
Rabbi Alana Suskin
Ruth W. Messinger
Anita Lampel
Ben Lorber, Senior Research Analyst, Political Research Associates
Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, National Jewish Educator, Avodah
Rabbi Abby Stein
Joshua Potash
Rabbi Michael Stein
Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, Path with Heart
Sam Sittenfield
Dr. Nick Dyrenfurth, John Curtin Research Centre
Danielle Solzman, Film critic, Solzy at the Movies
Rebecca Lesses, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Ithaca College
Rabbi Nate DeGroot
Cary Nelson, Emeritus Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mike Rothschild, Journalist
Hadar Cohen
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
Cantor Sara Geller
Rabbi Josh Feigelson
Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Feyer
Rabbi Lisa Bellows
Rabbi Cynthia Minster, Temple Israel of Alameda
Rabbi Stephen Segar
Rabbi Daniel B Gropper, Community Synagogue of Rye
Rabbi Rebecca W. SIrbu
Rabbi Michael Ross, Temple Beth Shalom, Hudson
Rabbi Jason Miller, Mitzvah Rabbi, LLC
Rabbi Dr. Victor M. Gross
Rabbi Andy Green, Congregation Or Tzion (Scottsdale, AZ)
Cantor Hasha Musha Perman, American Conference of Cantors
Rabbi David Weizman
Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
Rabbi Neil Kurshan
Rabbi Bob Gluck
Rabbi David Lerner, Senior Rabbi (Temple Emunah)
Rabbi Francine Roston
Rabbi Shai Held, Hadar Institute
Rabbi Howard Laibson, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Shir Chadash, Lakewood
Ariela Laibson
Elad Nehorai
Rafael Shimunov
Sophie Ellman-Golan, JFREJ
Rabbi Douglas E. Krantz
Cantor Chaplain Jennifer Bern-Vogel, Congregation Emanu El
Shira Dicker, President and Founder, Shira Dicker Media Int'l
Rabbi Joshua Ratner
Rabbi Lina Zerbarini, Kehillath Shalom Synagogue
Rabbi Amy Bardack
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Malkhut
Rabbi Dr. Susan Marks, New College of Florida-emerita
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, POWER Interfaith
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Congregation Bet Haverim
Rabbi Cassi Kail
Rabbi Meeka Simerly
Prof. of Physics Stephen Teitel, University of Rochester
Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild
Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser, Temple Emanuel
Andrea, Director, Moving Torah
Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, American Jewish University
Miriam Brosseau, Principal, Tiny Windows Consulting
Joel Swanson, PhD Candidate, History of Judaism, University of Chicago
Libby Goldstein Parker, Executive Director, Jewfolk, Inc.
Mr. Mordy Getz
Mairav Zonszein
Shoshana Brown, Black Jewish Liberation Collective
Rabbi Marianne Novak
Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein
Rabbi Jeremy Morrison
Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
Sami Manausa, Social Media Manager, IfNotNow
Erin Axelman, Co-Executive Director, Tikkun Olam Productions
Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Hoffman
Lydia Thornton
Cantor Olivia Brodsky, ACC and CA
Rabbi Sam Reinstein
Arielle Stein, Rabbinical Student
Rabbi Susan Goldberg, Nefesh
Faculty Yehudah Webster, Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project
Melanie Ehrlich
Rabbi Sara Brandes
Daniel Sieradski, Cofounder: Jewschool, Occupy Judaism, and the Jewish Worker
Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Marisa Kabas, Journalist
Jeffrey Blutinger, Barbara and Ray Alpert Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies, CSULB
Rabbi Marc Margolius
Rabbi Sara Zober
Rabbi Ruth Adar
Dr. Alana M. Vincent, Associate Professor in History of Religion, Umeå University
Rabbi Moti Rieber
Mia Brett, PhD, Suffolk Community College
Rabbi Joshua Gutoff This group's letter comes just one week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally flew to Silicon Valley to meet with Musk and ask him to censor more "antisemitism" on X.
As I reported last week, the pressure campaign to get Elon Musk to censor more is not only coming from Jonathan Greenblatt at the ADL and Netanyahu in Israel but also Attorney General Merrick Garland at the DOJ and Gary Gensler at the SEC.
Both have reportedly launched investigations into Musk over alleged "perks" he paid out years ago at Tesla.
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