Musk criticized for downplaying Germany’s nazi past during AfD appearance
Elon Musk (Photo: Getty Images)
The head of Israel's official Holocaust memorial has accused Elon Musk of insulting the victims of Nazism and creating a threat to Germany's democratic future. This came after the billionaire made some statements during his appearance at a congress of the far-right AfD party, NBC News reports.
Specifically, on Saturday, Musk unexpectedly appeared via video link at an election event of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), doubling down on his support for the group, which he said could "save Germany" ahead of the snap elections in February.
Referring to Germany's Nazi history, the head of the US Presidential Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency under Donald Trump told the cheering crowd that "children should not be blamed for the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents."
"There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that," he added.
Musk's remarks came in the same week he faced criticism for a gesture made during a speech in Washington, which resembled a Nazi salute. His statements were also made just days before world leaders were set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Dani Dayan, the head of Israel's Holocaust memorial, directly responded to Musk's words.
"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," he wrote on the social network X.
It should also be noted that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed concern over the ideas voiced at the AfD rally, where Musk spoke.
"The words we heard from the main actors of the AfD rally about “Great Germany” and “the need to forget German guilt for Nazi crimes” sounded all too familiar and ominous. Especially only hours before the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz," Tusk wrote on the social network X.
