Andrew Roth
The Guardian / December 6, 2024
SpaceX head has had Trump’s ear since election, and Israel hopes he can convince president-elect to pursue a deal.
Washington – Israel has sought to enlist Elon Musk’s help in reviving hostage negotiations with Hamas, according to reports in US media.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, called the billionaire tech entrepreneur earlier this week to ask for his help in convincing Donald Trump to pursue a deal, according to CNN.
Trump earlier this week demanded that Hamas release all of the hostages before his inauguration on 20 January or there would be “ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East”.
Nearly 100 hostages, both dead and alive, are believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza since the 7 October 2023 raid by the group.
Musk was Trump’s largest single backer in the election, investing more than $260m into his campaign, according to new financial filings. He has become a key conduit to Trump, sitting in on job interviews, heading up the proposed cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” and serving as an informal envoy to foreign countries.
A source close to the Israeli hostage families, who spoke with Herzog and is familiar with the conversation, told CNN: “There was a chat between [Herzog] and a few hostage families, where one of the subjects discussed was influence on Trump, and Elon Musk’s name came up as someone of influence on Trump. Therefore, keeping an open channel with him is important.”
It was unclear whether Musk agreed to speak with Trump. But earlier this week, the president-elect demanded that a deal be made before he enters office: “Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire world, in the Middle East – but it’s all talk, and no action!”
“If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against humanity,” he wrote.
Earlier this month, Musk sat down with Iran’s ambassador to the UN for a more-than-hourlong discussion on how to defuse tensions between Washington and Tehran. The meeting, which was held at a secret location according to the New York Times, was described by Iranian sources as “positive” and “good news”.
Musk also joined a phone call between Trump and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The tech billionaire has spoken sceptically of US military aid for Ukraine, and Trump has suggested that Ukraine should cede territory to Russia as part of a peace deal, a condition that Ukraine has rejected. Musk has also provided access to his Starlink satellite network to Ukraine, aiding the country’s use of drones and communications equipment.
Musk attended Netanyahu’s controversial speech before a joint session of Congress earlier this year. He previously met with Netanyahu during a visit to Israel last year, as the tech leader sought to quell accusations of antisemitism after personally endorsing a post on his social network X, formerly Twitter, that claimed Jews hate white people.
Musk’s visit also appears to have helped pave the way for SpaceX to provide its Starlink satellite internet to Gaza, which he announced on Tuesday was now in service at a hospital. The single location, which was supported by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, also reflects the tight controls that Israel has put on communications technology in the area.
Andrew Roth is The Guardian’s global affairs correspondent
