Benzinga - by Shanthi Rexaline, Benzinga Editor.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, recently under scrutiny for supporting anti-Semitic content, may be planning a visit to Israel next week.
What Happened: Musk is reportedly considering a trip to the Gaza Strip to witness the aftermath of strikes by the militant group Hamas in October, according to sources cited by local news outlet N12 on Thursday.
The billionaire is expected to meet with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit.
Netanyahu and Musk had a meeting in mid-September during Musk’s U.S. visit, where they discussed artificial intelligence technology, its potential, and risks. At that time, the Israeli Prime Minister urged Musk to combat anti-Semitism on X, a social media platform owned by Musk.
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Why It’s Important: Musk’s relationship with Israel has experienced ups and downs recently. Following an internet blackout in Gaza amid conflict, Musk offered to provide connectivity through SpaceX’s Starlink service.
However, Israel Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi opposed the move, expressing concerns that it could assist militants. Musk reassured that if Starlink services were provided, they would be strictly used for humanitarian purposes.
Complicating matters, Musk’s endorsement of an anti-Semitic post in mid-November led to significant corporate advertisers leaving the platform.
On a different note, Musk announced last week that X would donate all revenue from advertising and subscriptions related to the Gaza conflict to hospitals in Israel and the Red Cross/Crescent in Gaza.
The iShares MSCI Israel ETF (NYSE:EIS) ended Wednesday’s session up 1.54% to $54.14, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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