Israel on Monday hosted Elon Musk, who said he had reached an agreement in principle to use his SpaceX company's Starlink communications in the Gaza Strip, where a pause in the war against Hamas coincided with the tech entrepreneur's visit, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Musk's office has not yet commented on the trip.
Details
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is said to have scheduled a meeting with Musk this afternoon. The two will be joined by relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and will discuss "the need for action to combat the growing anti-Semitism on the Internet," Herzog's office said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet with Musk on Monday to discuss security aspects of artificial intelligence and hold a live online discussion, Netanyahu's office said.
When they last met in California on September 18, Netanyahu urged Musk to find a balance between protecting free speech and fighting hate speech after weeks of controversy over anti-Semitism on X, the former Twitter.
Last month, Musk suggested using Starlink to maintain communication channels in the Gaza Strip, which has been hit by a power outage, with "internationally recognized aid organizations."
At the time, Israel Communications spokesman Shlomo Karhi objected, saying that "Hamas will use it (Starlink) for terrorist activities."
But on Monday, Karhi said that Israel and Musk had reached an agreement in principle, according to which "Starlink satellite installations can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip."
In the X message addressed to Musk, Carhi expressed the hope that the visit to Israel "will serve as a springboard for future endeavors, and will strengthen your relationship with the Jewish people and the values we share with the world."
Musk has stated that he is against anti-Semitism and anything that "promotes hatred and conflict," including on X.
Addendum
On November 15, Musk was caught in a scandal after supporting a publication on X. The White House condemned what it called "disgusting propaganda of anti-Semitic and racist hatred" that "runs counter to our core values as Americans".
Major US companies, including Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) and NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast, have suspended their advertising on the social network.