Netanyahu says Elon Musk is not a Nazi and blasts ‘false smears’ against ‘great friend of Israel’ after ‘salute’ storm

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has travel retired successful defence of tech tycoon Elon Musk aft helium made a motion that looked similar a Nazi salute.

The embattled PM posted connected X to slam "false smears" made against Musk, dubbing him a "great person of Israel".

Musk was making a code to Trump supporters this week erstwhile helium gave a stiff-armed Roman-style salute.

People were speedy to slam him online for making a "Nazi salute", including US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who said helium made a "Heil Hitler salute".

Rep Jerry Nadler, different Democrat, called it an “abhorrent gesture.”

But Musk rapidly unopen down the claims -  accusing his enemies of engaging successful "dirty tricks" to effort and smear him aft the shocking moment.

He defended himself by writing: "The 'everyone is Hitler' onslaught is sooo tired."

Sharing a screenshot of a Wikipedia leafage that said helium made a motion which was "compared to a Nazi salute", Musk wrote connected his level X: "Defund Wikipedia until equilibrium is restored!"

He added, "Since bequest media propaganda is considered a 'valid' root by Wikipedia, it people simply becomes an hold of bequest media propaganda!"

Today Netanyahu wrote connected the societal media site: "@elonmusk is being falsely smeared.

"Elon is simply a large person of Israel. He visited Israel aft the October 7 massacre successful which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish radical since the Holocaust.

"He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s close to support itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who question to annihilate the 1 and lone Jewish state.

"I convey him for this."

Musk simply replied: "Thank you".

He said earlier today: "The extremist leftists are truly upset that they had to instrumentality clip retired of their engaged time praising Hamas to telephone maine a Nazi."

He made the evident motion portion speaking astatine the Capital One Arena successful Washington DC wherever helium was addressing Trump's supporters pursuing the inauguration connected Monday.

During the speech, helium enactment his manus to his thorax and said helium felt it successful his "heart", earlier pounding his thorax with his close limb and raising it stiffly to the sky.

While speaking astir his excitement astatine the imaginable of America landing a antheral connected Mars, helium past turned his backmost to the assemblage and repeated the motion arsenic helium faced an American emblem hanging down him.

"It is acknowledgment to you that the aboriginal of civilization is assured," helium told the gathered supporters.

The Anti-Defamation League, an planetary non-governmental enactment that fights antisemitism, bigotry, and discrimination, gave a cautious effect to the gesture.

"This is simply a delicate moment," it wrote connected X. "It’s a caller time and yet truthful galore are connected edge. Our authorities are inflamed, and societal media lone adds to the anxiety.

"It seems that Elon Musk made an awkward motion successful a infinitesimal of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we admit that radical are connected edge.

"In this moment, each sides should springiness 1 different a spot of grace, possibly adjacent the payment of the doubt, and instrumentality a breath. This is simply a caller beginning. Let’s anticipation for healing and enactment toward unity successful the months and years ahead."

Musk responded to the ADL's statement, penning simply "Thanks guys," alongside a laughing-crying emoji.

The SpaceX brag visited Israel weeks aft the horrific October 7 slaughter successful November 2023.

Hamas terrorists had killed immoderate 1,200 Israelis and overseas nationals successful a gruesome assault.

Israel successful crook launched a devastating penetration of the Gaza Strip which has truthful acold killed implicit 46,000 Palestinians, authorities wrong the enclave say.

He met with the families of hostages and Israeli president Isaac Herzog.

However, connected November 15 helium came nether occurrence for agreeing with a station connected X that said Jewish radical were stirring up hatred against achromatic people.

The poster was spouting the "Great Replacement" far-right conspiracy mentation - which states that Jewish radical and leftists are engineering a "white genocide" to regenerate achromatic populations with non-white immigrants.

Musk said they were speaking "the existent truth".

The White House - nether Biden astatine the clip - criticised him for the "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate" that "runs against our halfway values arsenic Americans".

DARK ORIGINS

The Nazi salute, besides known arsenic the Hitler oregon Sieg Heil salute, was utilized arsenic a communal greeting successful Germany nether the Third Reich.

It was primitively based connected the alleged Roman salute and was adopted by the Italian Fascist Party, whose enactment nether Benito Mussolini was a large inspiration to Adolf Hitler.

Its usage is amerciable successful respective countries today, including Germany, Austria, and Slovakia.