Why did the Anti Defamation League, a prominent nonprofit founded to combat antisemitism, come to Elon Musk’s defence after he was accused of making a Nazi salute?
Front Burner29:10Elon Musk, Nazi accusations, and the ADL
On Monday night, tech billionaire Elon Musk spoke at President Trump’s inauguration rally in Washington. In the middle of that speech, he slammed his right hand onto the left side of his chest and thrust it out into the air in a straight line. Then he turned around, and made the gesture again.
The backlash was immediate, with many people accusing Musk of making a Nazi salute.
But the Anti-Defamation League, an organization founded to combat anti-semitism disagreed, and came to Musk’s defence, calling it “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute” on X. Its defence of Musk would have been nearly unthinkable even a year and a half ago, when Musk threatened to sue the group for defamation.
Mari Cohen has been covering this evolving relationship between Musk and the ADL for Jewish Currents. She spoke to host Jayme Poisson about that, and how it fits into ongoing criticisms the organization is facing.
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