Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. Photo: courtesy of ADL

The head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused Elon Musk — the billionaire owner of the online platform X, formerly known as Twitter — of “dangerous and deeply irresponsible” behavior over his enabling of a social media campaign targeting the ADL that has been spurred by antisemites and white supremacists.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded to Musk’s threats to sue the ADL following a surge in posts attacking the organization over the weekend, emphasizing that “the real issue is neither ADL nor the threat of a frivolous lawsuit. This urgent matter is the safety of the Jewish people in the face of increasing, intensifying antisemitism.”

Against a background of rising antisemitic hate crimes, and with the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah just over a week away, Musk was promoting a slew of vocal antisemites, Greenblatt said.

“Musk is engaging with and elevating these antisemites at a time when ADL is tracking a surge of bomb threats and swatting attacks of synagogues and Jewish institutions, dramatic levels of antisemitic propaganda being littered throughout Jewish and non-Jewish residential communities, and extremists marching openly through the streets in Nazi gear,” Greenblatt said.

Greenblatt observed that it was “profoundly disturbing that Elon Musk spent the weekend engaging with a highly toxic, antisemitic campaign on his platform” which pushed the hashtags #BantheADL and #BankrupttheADL.

The campaign “was heavily promoted by individuals such as white supremacist Nick Fuentes, Christian nationalist Andrew Torba, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and others,” Greenblatt said. “Finally, we saw the campaign manifest in the real world when masked men marched in Florida on Saturday brazenly waving flags adorned with swastikas and chanting ‘Ban the ADL.'”

Musk’s behavior was “not just alarming nor reckless,” Greenblatt continued. “It is flat out dangerous and deeply irresponsible. We need responsible leaders to lead, to stop inflaming hatred, and to step back from the brink before it’s too late.”

Hours before threatening to sue the ADL earlier this week, Musk wrote on X that he’s “pro-free speech, but against antisemitism of any kind.”