After Elon Musk was brutally trolled for his "Nazi salute" on January 20 while addressing Donald Trump's supporters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came in defence of the billionaire. The Jewish leader took to X on Thursday (Jan 23) and said that Musk is "being falsely smeared".
While claiming that Elon Musk is a "great friend" of Israel, Netanyahu wrote, "He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre, in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s right to defend itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who seek to annihilate the only Jewish state."
.@elonmusk is being falsely smeared.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 23, 2025
Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s… https://t.co/VkBptanDmp
He ended the tweet by thanking Musk for his support to the Jewish nation.
The 'Nazi' salute
The well-known ally of US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, sparked a major controversy on Trump's inaugural day while addressing the crowd. During the speech, Musk pounded his chest and raised his right hand in support of Trump's supporters. The video was soon widely circulated on the internet, and critics accused that his gesture resembled the Nazi salute.
Musk was greatly criticised by netizens, as one of the X users wrote, "I'm shocked by Musk's autocratic tendencies, as well as his support for imperious politicians both here and abroad."
'Everyone is Hitler'
Also read: Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi resigns over failure to prevent Oct 7 Hamas attack
After receiving tons of backlash on the internet, Musk replied to the critics with a post on X in which he criticised people who accused him of showing a Nazi salute and said his haters need "better dirty tricks".
The Tesla CEO, who is now handling the DOGE under Trump, further wrote, "The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is so tired."
Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired 😴 https://t.co/9fIqS5mWA0
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(With inputs from agencies)