Yad Vashem chair denounces Musk's statements to far-right German party rally

Musk spoke in favor of voting for the far-right party, saying 'I'm very excited for the AfD; I think you're really the best hope for Germany...fight for a great future for Germany,'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS JANUARY 26, 2025 17:10 Updated: JANUARY 26, 2025 17:13

Elon Musk appearing before an AfD conference, January 25, 2025 (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)

The Chairman of Yad Vashem and former Israeli consul-general in New York, Dani Dayan, in a post on X/Twitter Sunday morning, denounced Elon Musk's speech to a far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) conference.

Contrary to @elonmusk advice, the remembrance and acknowledgement of the dark past of the country and its people should be central in shaping the German society. Failing to do so is an insult to the victims of Nazism and a clear danger to the democratic future of Germany. https://t.co/DzR5mxg9CD

— Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) January 26, 2025

During Saturday's AfD conference, Musk stated, "There is too much focus on past guilt (in Germany), and we need to move beyond that. Children should not feel guilty for the sins of their parents - their great grandparents even."

Musk was addressing a hall of 4,500 people alongside party leader Alice Weidel. He spoke live via video link about preserving German culture and protecting the German people, according to Reuters.

"It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything," Musk added, Reuters reported.

In retorting Musk, Dayan stated that "the remembrance and acknowledgment of the dark past of the country and its people should be central in shaping the German society. Failing to do so is an insult to the victims of Nazism and a clear danger to the democratic future of Germany."

Elon Musk makes controversial gesture at Washington DC arena (credit: SCREENSHOT/X)

Ongoing Nazi controversy

Such controversial statements by Musk come amid criticism of his gestures on Monday, during President Donald Trump's inauguration, where Musk gestured towards the crowd repeatedly, with actions that appeared to be similar to a Nazi salute. Musk has denied this link.

Musk, however, spoke in favor of voting for the far-right party, saying: "I'm very excited for the AfD; I think you're really the best hope for Germany...fight for a great future for Germany," he told onlookers, according to Reuters.

The AfD is viewed with controversy within wider German society, particularly the remaining Jewish community. This is, in part, because AfD repeatedly speaks out against kosher dietary rules, including lobbying for the ban of imported kosher food.

Further, AfD has been labeled as a “suspected extremist case” by Germany's domestic intelligence service since 2021 and lost a court case in May 2024 to remove this label, according to a report by The Washington Post.

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James Genn contributed to this report.