SAN FRANCISCO– Elon Musk sparked a storm Monday after making a gesture at a post-inauguration rally.
Musk, who has made the gesture twice, is facing heavy criticism after many internet users compared his arm gesture to a Nazi salute.
“Well, it certainly looked bad. I can’t speculate on what his intent was and I think it’s important to separate intent from impact here,” Tyler Gregory said.
Gregory is the CEO of the San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council. He believes it is extremely important that Musk clarify his actions.
“It looked really bad to a lot of us in the Jewish community. And it was celebrated by white nationalist groups,” Gregory said.
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Musk pushed back later Monday on “X,” calling the criticism “dirty tricks.”
All of this comes at a time of heightened anxiety for many in the Jewish community.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, anti-Semitic incidents have increased exponentially, both across the country and in the Bay Area.
“We saw graffiti and leaflets proclaiming ‘Kill the Jews’ and ‘Hitler was right,'” Teresa Drenick said.
Drenick, deputy director of the American Jewish Committee, says that although anti-Semitism began to rise during the first Trump administration, the recent rise is unlike anything we’ve seen in decades.
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Drenick says it’s up to everyone to stand up to anti-Semitism, whether it comes from the far left or the far right.
“This will require a response from the entire community. It cannot be up to the Jewish community alone to combat anti-Semitism. We need everyone to stand up and be an ally,” she said. declared.
Trump included family members of Israeli hostages at a rally after the inauguration. This follows the entry into force of a ceasefire agreement the day before.
Earlier Monday, he pledged to continue working to resolve conflicts in the Middle East.
“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and a unifier. That’s what I want to be, a peacemaker and a unifier. I’m happy to say that from yesterday, one day before I take office, hostages in the Middle East are coming home to their families,” Trump said.
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