SWC Condemns Musk for Failure to Tackle Anti-Semitism

September 6, 2023

Human Rights NGO Continues to Raise Concerns About How ‘X’ is Used to Perpetuate Hate

LOS ANGELES – The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) issued the following statement in response to Elon Musk’s failure to tackle anti-Semitism on X, formerly known as Twitter:

“From the moment that Elon Musk acquired Twitter, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a trailblazer in combating Online Hate and Terrorism, asked to meet with him to detail our concerns about the leveraging of Twitter by anti-Semites and violent anti-Israel groups and individuals.
 
"Our efforts, and those of scores of other Jewish organizations focused on these issues, were met with virtual silence. The failure to adopt a robust policy in this area left the social media platform open to Kanye West’s relentless hateful rants against the Jewish people that impacted on tens of millions of users.

"Now, amidst surging anti-Semitic hate crimes in the US fueled by relentless Jew-hatred on social media, Musk chooses to threaten to launch a lawsuit, not against anti-Semites, but against the ADL.
 
"Mr. Musk—this isn’t leadership, it’s a display of arrogance for which our community loses—whatever the outcome.
 
"The SWC reiterates its call for X to meet and begin the long overdue process of degrading, not upgrading, the use of X by anti-Semites and haters.”
 
For further information contact the Center’s Communications department at pressinquiries@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Media can also contact James Lambert, Vice President at Rubenstein Public Relations, at jlambert@rubensteinpr.com or at 1-212-805-3024.
 
About the Simon Wiesenthal Center  
 
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).

 
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