Netanyahu gives Elon Musk a tour of Israeli kibbutz; billionaire sees need to 'stop murderous propaganda'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Elon Musk on Monday and took him on a tour of the Gaza Strip, a highly unusual move that has sparked controversy.

Netanyahu and Musk met in Tel Aviv to discuss potential collaborations in space exploration and technology development. Following their meeting, Netanyahu took Musk on a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Gaza, a border community near the Gaza Strip, and showed him the aftermath of rocket attacks by Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.

Netanyahu shared a photo of himself and Musk on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by a caption which showed how Hamas attacked Israel.

"I toured Kibbutz Kfar Gaza with Elon Musk to show him up close the crimes against humanity committed by Hamas," Netanyahu wrote.

Elon Musk has expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas attacks, while also acknowledging the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He has called for an end to the propaganda that incites violence and has proposed using his Starlink satellite internet service to provide communication links to aid organizations in Gaza.

“There’s no choice,” said Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, adding: “I’d like to help as well.”

“Those that are intent on murder must be neutralised,” Musk said. “The propaganda must stop that is training people to be murderers in the future. And then, making Gaza prosperous. And if that happens, I think it will be a good future.”

Netanyahu replied, “I hope you will be involved. And the fact that you came here, I think, speaks volumes to your commitment to try to secure a better future.”

It is important to note that Elon Musk has been accused of incitement on multiple occasions, including his agreement with a post that falsely claimed Jews were stoking hatred against white people. 

In this specific instance, Prime Minister Netanyahu showed Elon Musk footage of the October 7th attack assembled from Hamas bodycams, CCTV, and other sources. This footage is likely to have been intended to demonstrate the brutality of the attack and the need for Israel to defend itself.

Israel has been fighting Hamas, which the US and the EU have designated as a terrorist organisation, since an October 7 massacre in which terrorists murdered over 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages.

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