Tipping Point Quick Hits (9.21.23)
Netanyahu with Musk, Nipah virus in India, and abortions on the rise
Netanyahu Challenges Musk Over Antisemitism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with billionaire Elon Musk earlier this week for a discussion at Tesla headquarters about antisemitism, the dangers of artificial intelligence, and about Netanyahu’s controversial overhaul of the judicial system.
The conversation came at a time when Musk and his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), have come under fire for growing antisemitism among users. The Jerusalem Post reported on the conversation:
“Obviously I’m against antisemitism,” said Musk, who is Tesla’s CEO and who has been under fire from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for lax policies on the platform previously known as Twitter, which allow for antisemitic posts.
Musk, however, said that his issue was the protection of free speech, although he did indicate that one way to police the situation would be to start charging a fee to use the platform.
“Free speech does mean at times someone is saying something you don’t like. That doesn’t mean negativity should be pushed on people. Our overarching goal is to maximize unregretted user time. We can’t police [antisemitism] ahead of time. We’re not going to promote hate speech,” Musk said.
Netanyahu praised Musk’s commitment to free speech but asked him to fight back against the rapidly expanding hate speech on X:
“I know your commitment to free speech,” Netanyahu told Musk. “But I also know your opposition to antisemitism. You’ve spoken about it, tweeted about it. And all I can say is, I hope you find, within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to stop not only antisemitism, or roll it back as best you can, but any collective hatred of people…. I know you’re committed to that and I hope you succeed. And it’s not an easy task, but I encourage you and urge you to find a balance.”
The conversation occurred Monday during Netanyahu’s visit to the United States as he traveled to New York to meet this week with other world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
Since buying Twitter last year and renaming the platform X, Musk has faced claims that, by laying off more than 80 percent of the previous staff—including trust and safety teams—he has weakened its ability to enforce content rules related to hate speech. In a recent report, the Jewish Anti-Defamation League shared data that shows “both an increase in antisemitic content on the platform and a decrease in the moderation of antisemitic posts.”
Other watchdog groups have shown that white supremacy content, racist slurs and other hate speech have risen sharply in recent months on X.
I have written before about the concerning link between antisemitism and some right-wing extremists in the United States. I believe in free speech, but whether you like Elon Musk or not, elevating the voices of antisemitism is never a good idea. As the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu is right to hold him to account. Israel is central to the Bible prophecy timeline, and Genesis 12:3 makes it clear that those who hate Israel will be punished.
I’ve said it before and I will keep saying it: If you are against the Jewish people, then you are against Jesus.
Nipah Virus Outbreak: India Starts Mass Testing
In the state of Kerala in southern India, public gatherings have been cancelled and some schools have been shut down after an outbreak of the Nipah virus. Two people have already been killed by the deadly virus.
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