New York, NY, November 19, 2023 – The American Jewish Congress commends the decision of leading American companies to halt their advertising on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, due to its apparent failure to confront antisemitism. At a time when antisemitism is rampant on social media platforms, this principled position shows a determination not to let these platforms off the hook.
The decision by IBM, Disney, Apple, Lionsgate, Comcast, Warner Bros Discovery, and other major advertisers to discontinue their marketing on the platform is a clear repudiation of the fact that X and its owner, Elon Musk, have continuously failed the Jewish community and all those that stand against hate.
Earlier this week, Musk endorsed the accusation that Jews are pushing “the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” Instead of helping denounce the dangerous increase in antisemitic violence and attacks we are witnessing, Musk used his voice and platform to push a vile antisemitic accusation. This represents a new low.
We urge other major advertisers to follow the example of these leading companies and adopt the same policy towards any social media platform that does not show determination in rejecting and actively combating hate. Let us not forget, online antisemitism is not only hate speech, but it also leads to violence in real life. The time for real action is now.
