“I’m aspirationally Jewish,” Musk said. “So I was like, ‘What are people talking about with this antisemitism?’ Because I never hear it at dinner conversations."

Elon Musk said he is “Jewish by association” during a conversation with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro after a visit to the former Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz, Poland.

Musk, the Tesla CEO and owner of social media platform X, made the comments during a conference on antisemitism organized by the European Jewish Association. The association had arranged for Musk to make a private visit to Auschwitz, where an estimated 1.1 million Jewish people were killed during the Holocaust.

“I must admit to being somewhat frankly naive about this. In the circles that I move, I see almost no antisemitism. … Two-thirds of my friends are Jewish,” the billionaire tech mogul said in a video posted on YouTube by Bloomberg Technology. “I have twice as many Jewish friends as non-Jewish friends. I’m like Jewish by association.”

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I’m a Jew and I have yet to meet another Jew who has any respect whatsoever for Ben Shapiro.

    And, “some of my best friends are Jews/Blacks/Gays/etc.” is the oldest line in the bigot book.

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      9 months ago

      And, “some of my best friends are Jews/Blacks/Gays/etc.” is the oldest line in the bigot book.

      I didn’t say as much because I kind of thought that was a given. Dude’s not even trying. Most half-ass transparent shit ever.

      • Spiralvortexisalie@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Actually I read this all the other way, like he was trying to suggest something by being one of richest in the world he was “jew-ish” and that two thirds of this rich person’s friends are Jewish.

    • TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      9 months ago

      The only respect I have for Ben Shapiro comes from his collection of Seforim.

      Though that might be more envy than respect, those things are expensive.

    • holycrap
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      9 months ago

      And, “some of my best friends are Jews/Blacks/Gays/etc.” is the oldest line in the bigot book.

      “I’m not racist because, you see. My cat is black.”

      That’s how this line reads to me anyway.