A coalition of Reform “Jewish” organizations from the U.S. and Canada announced they would be leaving X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, due to a growing increase in what they described as “toxic speech” on the site and the platform’s owner, Elon Musk, sharing content that was seen as antisemitic and xenophobic.
This ridiculous decision came on the heels of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and just days after Musk was criticized for making what apparently ignorant “scholars” and “human rights organizations” described as a Nazi salute, often referred to as a Hitlergruß. The controversy also followed Musk’s comments to members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, where he seemingly downplayed Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust by stating, “there’s too much focus on past guilt,” indicating that the weight of Germany’s past was being overemphasized.
Fifteen “Jewish” groups issued a joint statement declaring that they would cease posting and interacting with X by the end of the first quarter due to the rising level of hate speech on the platform. In the statement, the groups said, “In study after study, as well as our lived experiences, X has become a platform that promotes hate, antisemitism, and societal division.” They also criticized Musk for his actions under the leadership of the platform, pointing out how X had significantly reduced content moderation, allowed white supremacists to gain prominence, and re-platformed individuals who spread conspiracy theories. Additionally, the groups condemned Musk for his involvement in reposting hateful and anti-immigrant content.
Among the groups that signed the statement were the Union for Reform Judaism, the American Conference of Cantors, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Reform Jewish Community of Canada, and the Shalom Center. While some of the groups plan to completely disengage from the platform, others indicated they would keep their accounts active to prevent others from assuming their usernames and using them in ways that do not align with their values.
These Reform groups are Jewish in name only and actually have very little to do with authentic Judaism.
{Matzav.com}