Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of the social media platform X, paid a visit to Israel on Monday amidst ongoing controversy surrounding accusations of antisemitism on his platform. Musk's visit included a tour of the Kfar Azza kibbutz, which was attacked by Hamas militants last month, and meetings with top Israeli leaders.

Accompanied by a phalanx of security personnel, Musk donned a protective vest as he used his phone to document the devastation caused by the attack. Video footage released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office captured Musk's visit to the kibbutz, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

During his time in Israel, Musk also had scheduled meetings with President Isaac Herzog and Benny Gantz, a former defense minister who is currently part of a special war Cabinet. However, it remains unclear whether Musk was invited by the Israeli government or if he decided to visit on his own accord.

This visit coincided with an announcement made by Israel's communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, regarding a deal between his ministry and Musk's Starlink satellite internet company. Karhi stated on Twitter that Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including in the Gaza Strip. No further details were provided about the agreement.

Musk has been embroiled in controversy due to accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on X, formerly known as Twitter, since he purchased the platform last year. The content on X has come under heightened scrutiny, particularly during the recent war between Israel and Hamas. Several major brands, including Disney and IBM, halted their advertising on the platform following a report by liberal advocacy group Media Matters, which claimed that ads were appearing alongside pro-Nazi material. Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory also ignited outrage, drawing condemnation even from the White House.

The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish civil-rights organization, has joined others in accusing Musk of allowing antisemitic content to persist on X. This controversy culminated in X filing a lawsuit against Media Matters, accusing the organization of fabricating the report to harm X Corp. and drive away advertisers.

This is not the first time Musk and Netanyahu have met. They last crossed paths in September, during which Netanyahu expressed his hope that Musk would find a way to combat antisemitism within the boundaries of the First Amendment.

During his visit to Israel, Musk and the prime minister visited the homes of some victims of the recent conflict. One of them was Abigail Edan, a four-year-old girl with Israeli-U.S. citizenship who had been held hostage by Hamas after her parents were killed. Thankfully, she was released on Sunday as part of the ongoing exchanges during the cease-fire in Gaza, which was set to expire the day after Musk's visit.

In the midst of global attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Musk's visit to Israel has sparked intrigue and further scrutiny surrounding his stance on antisemitism, as well as his role in managing the content on his social media platform.