Coalition of Jewish groups say they're leaving X over Musk's behavior
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gives what scholars, journalists and rights groups said was a Hitlergruß, or Nazi salute. during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, D.C., last week. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
A coalition of U.S. and Canadian Jewish groups say they will leave X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, after seeing a rise in "toxic speech" on the platform and owner Elon Musk reposting antisemitic and xenophobic content.
Why it matters: The announcement Monday came as the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day. and days after Musk gave what scholars and rights groups said was a Hitlergruß, or Nazi salute.
- It also came after Musk told members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party "there's too much focus on past guilt," seemingly referring to the burden Germany carries for the Holocaust.
Driving the news: Fifteen groups wrote in a joint statement that they will stop posting on X and end engagement on the site by the first quarter due to increased hate speech.
- "In study after study, as well as our lived experiences, X has become a platform that promotes hate, antisemitism, and societal division," the statement said.
- "Under the leadership of Elon Musk, X has reduced content moderation, promoted white supremacists, and re-platformed purveyors of conspiracy theories."
- The groups also faulted Musk for his role in reposting hateful and anti-immigrant content.
Zoom in: Union for Reform Judaism, the American Conference of Cantors, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Jewish Community of Canada and the Shalom Center were among the groups that signed the statement.
- Representatives for X did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Zoom out: The groups said some will maintain accounts on X to ensure our handles are "not assumed by other entities with values contrary to our own."
Context: Musk drew fire last week after giving the salute at a President Trump inauguration event.
- The world's richest man then spoke to a cheering AfD crowd on Saturday, denouncing multiculturism and defending Germany's past.
- "There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that," Musk said.
- The comments also follow a series of Nazi-related "jokes" Musk posted on X, which were a series of puns referencing prominent Nazis like chief propagandist Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler.
Flashback: Musk in 2023 faced backlash for endorsing an antisemitic post, as 164 Jewish rabbis and activists upped their calls to companies to stop advertising on the Musk-owned X.
- The site has come under heavy criticism for lifting the block on white nationalists while banning critics.
Between the lines: Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech "absolutist," has repeatedly claimed that he would protect all forms of speech on X.
- In practice, however, the platform has been lenient to those who post hateful or extremist content while cracking down on speech that's critical of the platform or of Musk.
- A federal judge in California last year threw out a lawsuit filed by X against a hate speech watchdog that has said the use of racial slurs on X has soared since Musk's takeover.
