172 Jewish Leaders are Calling out Antisemitism on X
We are a group of rabbis, leaders of Jewish organizations, artists, activists, and academics. We have diverse ideologies and beliefs, but we have come together to address the danger Elon Musk and X represent to Jews and others.
Updated Statement: November 16th, 2023
Elon Musk is spreading the kind of antisemitism that leads to massacres. And advertisers are funding the platform that allows him to spread his ideology to hundreds of millions people.
Musk has gone from spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories to doubling down on his overt antisemitism. Yesterday, he agreed with an antisemitic tweet that claimed, “Jewish communties (sic) have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” This was in response to another tweet which asked people to justify their belief that “Hitler was right.”
The tweet he agreed with was part of his ongoing support for the Great Replacement conspiracy theory. Worse, it was implicit support for Nazism. This ideology led to the Tree of Life and Poway synagogue massacres. Doing so on a site that is already rife with antisemitism directly endangers Jews.
None of this is surprising: Musk has been spreading antisemitism now for years. What is surprising is how many tech companies and leaders are still willing to do business with him. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has doubled down on his support for Elon Musk. Google has deepened its relationship with X by partnering with them on ads.
It has been two months since we originally put out our call for large advertisers like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Disney to stop funneling money onto X as antisemitism explodes on the platform. Nothing has changed. Except for the danger Jews are in.
We and many others have already documented the massive rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia that occurred since Musk took over the platform and has since risen exponentially after the October 7th Hamas attacks and ensuing war in Gaza. This has correlated with the real world incidents spreading around the country, from vandalism to violence.
Make no mistake: Elon Musk is not only powerful because of his own riches. It is because these companies and leaders empower him. In so doing, they are participants in mainstreaming hate that leads to murders.
We again reaffirm our original calls for:
Disney, Apple, Amazon, and other large advertisers to stop funding X through their ad spend.
Apple and Google to remove X from their respective app stores, per their own rules.
We plan to continue our call on advertisers and app stores as long as the danger X represents to Jews in America and beyond continues.
Since these companies have refused to address our concerns, we also call on supporters to contact these companies directly.
You can do so here:
You can also use their comment sections and replies to post our letter. Do not let them escape what they are doing.
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As Jewish leaders of all backgrounds, current and former leaders of Jewish organizations, artists, and activists from all over the country, we have watched in horror as a new stage in antisemitic discourse has spread like wildfire on one of America’s largest social media networks. All of this has been facilitated and enabled by its owner: Elon Musk.
We are speaking of course of X (formerly Twitter), which since his takeover has become a breeding ground for some of the most dangerous antisemitic discourse in America. It has made fringe figures mainstream, spread conspiracy theories that endanger Jews, reinstated neo-Nazis and other antisemites, and destroyed the content moderation that once kept things like Holocaust denial and hate speech minimized.
Just as bad, Musk has himself engaged in antisemitism and promoted other antisemites to his more than 155 million followers. We are alarmed by his targeting of the ADL: not because of our views of the organization (we represent a wide range of views, including some who fundamentally oppose the ADL as well as staunch supporters), but because of the way he has used the organization as a very clear stand in for an antisemitic representation of Jewish power.
But his behavior has a long history going back to his purchase of Twitter. The list is long, but some of the most egregious examples include:
His taking part in the #BanTheADL hashtag, a campaign that was started by neo-Nazi figures like Nick Fuentes. His first engagement with the campaign was with another neo-Nazi, Keith Woods.
Spreading overt antisemitism, such as the false idea that “65% of Jewish college students support censorship.”
Repeatedly engaging with and promoting antisemitic accounts.
Engaging in antisemitic conspiracy theories, such as linking George Soros with the Rothschilds as well as the Great Replacement conspiracy theory.
Reinstating some of the most vicious antisemites in America and beyond, including Andrew Anglin (founder of The Daily Stormer, one of the largest neo-Nazi publications in America) and David Icke (popularizer of the Jews as lizard people conspiracy theory).
The result: antisemitic discourse has doubled on X. And since the measurements were taken before Musk’s recent outbursts, it’s likely that number has continued to rise.
In short, X has become a breeding ground for antisemitism and represents one of the largest dangers to Jews in years. If something does not change, we know what will happen: hate speech and radicalization are always the precursor to violence.
We are deeply disappointed in the failure of media organizations and others in telling this story. Often, his claims about the ADL and other conspiracy theories are taken at face value. The context of his antisemitism is practically ignored. His history and the danger he presents are, in essence, whitewashed. That needs to end. We are here to tell the story others have ignored.
Finally, we call on all companies and governmental organizations engaged in business with Musk to end their relationships with his various companies. Partnering with a man who spreads neo-Nazi ideology should be the exact opposite of what they stand for.
In particular, we call on:
Disney, Apple, Amazon, and other large advertisers to stop funding X through their ad spend.
Apple and Google to remove X from their respective app stores, per their own rules.
Elon Musk has shown a refusal to back down from the danger he poses to Jews and other minorities and vulnerable communities. Appealing to him directly, as the ADL and others have, has been an abject failure. Outside pressure that hits him where it hurts is the only effective measure. Not doing so will mean the further spread of extremism and antisemitism. Those don’t just threaten Jews: they threaten a free society and all those affected by the conspiracy theories tied to antisemitism.
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The Letter 2
It has been a month since the XOutHate coalition of 100 Jewish leaders, rabbis, academics, and artists came together to call for major companies like Apple and Amazon to stop advertising on X, formerly known as Twitter. Since then, 61 more leaders have added their names.
Now, after a brutal attack in Israel and a war in Gaza rages, we are seeing the results of X’s abysmal lack of moderation combined with its owner's own engagement with antisemitic material.
On X, antisemitism has spiked enormously, with little to no functions put into place to reign it in:
There has been a massive increase in praise for Hitler and the Holocaust, including a 300% increase in the use of the hashtag #hitlerwasright.
General antisemitism has spiked as well, with phrases like “Jews killed Jesus” rising 1000%.
Misinformation about the war has spread massively on X, with blue checks (those who are paying subscribers) being by far the biggest sources of misinformation. Since these accounts make money from popular posts, this essentially means that this misinformation has become monetized.
Hamas propaganda has been shared and not removed. It was seen by millions. And since ads were shown in the replies to these tweets, X is making money from the propaganda.
Elon Musk himself recommended two accounts known for spreading misinformation. One of them has a history of antisemitism, including spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and a reply which said “go worship a jew lil bro.”
These issues are not minor. They increase the chance of violence against Jews. They allow bad actors to take advantage of the chaos. They are taken advantage of by hate groups to increase recruitment.
We have also seen the horrific results of increased hate speech as it has risen towards Muslims and Palestinians as well, leading to the heartbreaking stabbing of a six year old Palestinian-American child in Illinois.
In moments like these more than ever, vulnerable communities are endangered by the rise of hate speech online. X and Elon Musk have failed this test on an epic level.
In response, we again reaffirm our original calls for:
Disney, Apple, Amazon, and other large advertisers to stop funding X through their ad spend.
Apple and Google to remove X from their respective app stores, per their own rules.
As Musk’s recent behavior has shown, he is unlikely to change his behavior without an impact on his bottom line.
We plan to continue our call on advertisers and app stores as long as the danger X represents to Jews in America and beyond continues.
Signed by:
(Affiliations listed for identification purposes only)
Max Socol, Campaigns Director, Progressive Maryland
Rabbi Drew Kaplan
Alex Winter
Rabbi Joshua Stanton
Alan Schwartz, Chair Emeritus, A Wider Bridge
Luc Bernard, Director, The Light in the Darkness
Etan Nechin, Journalist
Jacob Labendz
Eva Borgwardt, Political Director, IfNotNow
Dov Waxman, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair in Israel Studies, UCLA
Arthur Slepian, Founder, A Wider Bridge
Rabbi Amitai Fraiman
Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, JJ Greenberg Institute for the Advancement of Jewish Life
Eli Valley
Rabbi Shimon Brand
Rabbi Daniel Silverstein
Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Carol S. Stern
Rabbi Alana Suskin
Ruth W. Messinger
Anita Lampel
Ben Lorber, Senior Research Analyst, Political Research Associates
Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, National Jewish Educator, Avodah
Rabbi Abby Stein
Joshua Potash
Rabbi Michael Stein
Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, Path with Heart
Sam Sittenfield
Dr. Nick Dyrenfurth, John Curtin Research Centre
Danielle Solzman, Film critic, Solzy at the Movies
Rebecca Lesses, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Ithaca College
Rabbi Nate DeGroot, Associate Director, The Shalom Center
Cary Nelson, Emeritus Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mike Rothschild, Journalist
Hadar Cohen
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
Cantor Sara Geller
David Hazony, Editor, Jewish Priorities
Rabbi Josh Feigelson
Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Feyer
Rabbi Lisa Bellows
Rabbi Cynthia Minster, Temple Israel of Alameda
Rabbi Stephen Segar
Rabbi Daniel B Gropper, Community Synagogue of Rye
Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu
Rabbi Jason Miller, Mitzvah Rabbi, LLC
Rabbi Dr. Victor M. Gross
Rabbi Andy Green, Congregation Or Tzion (Scottsdale, AZ)
Cantor Hasha Musha Perman, American Conference of Cantors
Rabbi David Weizman
Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
Rabbi Neil Kurshan
Rabbi Bob Gluck
Rabbi David Lerner, Senior Rabbi (Temple Emunah)
Rabbi Francine Roston
Rabbi Shai Held, Hadar Institute
Rabbi Howard Laibson, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Shir Chadash, Lakewood
Ariela Laibson
Rabbi Scott Fox, Temple Israel Long Beach
Elad Nehorai
Rafael Shimunov
Sophie Ellman-Golan, JFREJ
Rabbi Douglas E. Krantz
Cantor Chaplain Jennifer Bern-Vogel, Congregation Emanu El
Shira Dicker, President and Founder, Shira Dicker Media Int'l
Rabbi Joshua Ratner
Rabbi Lina Zerbarini, Kehillath Shalom Synagogue
Rabbi Amy Bardack
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Malkhut
Rabbi Dr. Susan Marks, New College of Florida-emerita
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, POWER Interfaith
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Congregation Bet Haverim
Rabbi Cassi Kail
Rabbi Meeka Simerly
Prof. of Physics Stephen Teitel, University of Rochester
Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild
Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser, Temple Emanuel
Andrea, Director, Moving Torah
Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, American Jewish University
Miriam Brosseau, Principal, Tiny Windows Consulting
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President, Uri L'Tzedek: The Orthodox Social Justice Movement
Joel Swanson, PhD Candidate, History of Judaism, University of Chicago
Libby Goldstein Parker, Executive Director, Jewfolk, Inc.
Mr. Mordy Getz
Mairav Zonszein
Shoshana Brown, Black Jewish Liberation Collective
Rabbi Marianne Novak
Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein
Rabbi Jeremy Morrison
Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
Sami Manausa, Social Media Manager, IfNotNow
Erin Axelman, Co-Executive Director, Tikkun Olam Productions
Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Hoffman
Lydia Thornton
Cantor Olivia Brodsky, ACC and CA
Rabbi Sam Reinstein
Arielle Stein, Rabbinical Student
Rabbi Susan Goldberg, Nefesh
Faculty Yehudah Webster, Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project
Melanie Ehrlich
Rabbi Sara Brandes
Daniel Sieradski, Cofounder: Jewschool, Occupy Judaism, and the Jewish Worker
Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Marisa Kabas, Journalist
Jeffrey Blutinger, Barbara and Ray Alpert Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies, CSULB
Rabbi Marc Margolius
Rabbi Sara Zober
Rabbi Ruth Adar
Dr. Alana M. Vincent, Associate Professor in History of Religion, Umeå University
Rabbi Moti Rieber
Mia Brett, PhD, Suffolk Community College
Rabbi Joshua Gutoff
Katherine Bower, Soferet St”m
Michelle Katz, Rabbinical student
Sasha Senderovich, Associate Professor of Slavic and Jewish Studies, University of Washington
Rabbi Iris Richman
Abe Silberstein, Member, New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA) Leaders Network
Jonathan Glick
Max Sawicky, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Economic and Policy Research
Rabbi Benjamin David, Senior Rabbi, Keneseth Israel
Archie Gottesman, Co-Founder, JewBelong
Larry Yudelson, Editorial Director, Ben Yehuda Press
Michael Rom, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
Rabbi Robin Podolsky
Rabbi Audrey Korotkin
Phylisa Wisdom, Executive Director, New York Jewish Agenda
Rabbi Shaul Magid, Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College
Zack Furness, Associate Professor of Communications, Penn State University
Rabbi Michael Harvey
Eric M. Fink, Associate Professor, Elon University School of Law
Howard Winant, University of California Santa Barbara
Rabbi Noah Bickart, Professor of Jewish Studies, John Carroll University
Rabbi Amy Small
Zachary Larkin, USC Shoah Foundation
Faith Rogow, Ph.D., Insighters Education
Rabbi Andrea Lobel
Shlomo Satt, Ruskay Fellow, UJA
Andrew Lillien/namer98 and the entire /r/Judaism mod team:
u/MetalusVerne
u/iamthegodemperor
u/shinytwistybouncy
u/drak0bsidian
u/RtimesThree
Rabbi Jonah Geffen
Zachary J Braiterman, Professor of Religion, Syracuse University
Ari Bloomekatz, Executive Editor, In These Times
Cantor Michael Zoosman, Co-Founder, L’chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty
Rabbi Matthew Soffer
Rabbi Mike Nasielski
Adam Langleben, National Secretary, Jewish Labour Movement, United Kingdom
Hadar Susskind, Peace Now
Ann Toback, CEO, The Workers Circle
Marilyn Sneiderman, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University
Marc Caplan, Professor, Yiddish & Jewish Studies, Heinrich-Heine University
Susan E. Shapiro, Director of Religious Studies & Professor of Judaic & Near Eastern Studies, The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Chaplain Jonah Sanderson, National Association Of Jewish Chaplains
Rabbi Dr. Barat Ellman
Dan Goldfine, Partner, Dickinson Wright
John Rokosny, Director & Producer, “They Survived Together”
Todd Radel, Security Coordinator, Darchei Noam Synagogue
Chelsea Simon, PhD Candidate, HUC-JIR
Benjamin Silverstein
Talia Jane, Reporter, Freelance Journalists Union
Max Berger, Co-Founder, IfNotNow and More Perfect Union
Rabbi Emily Cohen, West End Synagogue
Dr Jennifer Dowling, Manager, Education innovation and Design
Rabbi Jonathan Leener, The Prospect Heights Shul
Dr. Neil Farber
Shlomi Steinberg, Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo
Dr. Jerome A. Paulson, Professor Emeritus, George Washington University School of Medicine
Halle Stanford, President of Television, Jim Henson Company
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