Netanyahu and Musk hold live meeting on X in California

But Musk and Netanyahu are also looking for something more.

For Netanyahu, the meeting with one of the world’s biggest tech entrepreneurs comes amid criticism that his controversial push to reform Israel’s justice system risks spooking international investors and the tech community that gave Israel its reputation as a “start-up nation”. In remarks in Israel before leaving for California, Netanyahu called Musk “currently leading the most spectacular development of the new era and perhaps in general,” apparently referring to AI, and said that he would “strive to encourage him to invest in Israel in the years to come.

For Musk, a personal visit from Netanyahu offers a chance to counter allegations of anti-Semitism after a series of tweets in which he accused the Anti-Defamation League, a major Jewish human rights organization, of trying to to destroy X and threatened to file a lawsuit against the non-profit organization. .

When the conversation turned to anti-Semitism, Netanyahu said, “I know your commitment to anti-Semitism” and gently encouraged Musk to “find the balance” between free speech and anti-Semitic comments. “I encourage you to find balance,” he said. “This is a difficult question.”

The Washington Post reported Thursday that the two planned to meet in Silicon Valley at the start of Netanyahu’s trip to the United States for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.