Netanyahu Defends Musk Over Nazi Salute Row, Says Tesla CEO 'Falsely Smeared'

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday defended Tesla and SpaceX CEO, amid the controversy over Elon Musk making a Nazi salute earlier this week.

Tesla CEO has been accused of delivering Nazi salutes at the presidential inauguration rally of US President Donald Trump.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Netanyahu expressed his support to Musk and said that the latter is being falsely smeared. He added that Musk is a great friend of Israel. He also thanked Musk for supporting Israel’s right to defend itself in the war against Hamas.

Netanyahu wrote, “Elon Musk is being falsely smeared. 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 right to defend itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who seek to annihilate the one and only Jewish state. I thank him for this.”

.@elonmusk is being falsely smeared.

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

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 23, 2025

Later, Musk also thanked Netanyahu for supporting him.

Thank you https://t.co/onSO3PY9CA

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2025

Earlier, Musk, in a post on X over his alleged Nazi salute said, “The radical leftists are really upset that they had to take time out of their busy day praising Hamas to call me a Nazi.”

The radical leftists are really upset that they had to take time out of their busy day praising Hamas to call me a Nazi

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2025

The tech billionaire, in another post said, “If I see one more damn Nazi salute in my feed, I’m gonna lose my mind.”