Netanyahu seeks Tesla contract amid mounting criticism of Elon Musk

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Tesla to bid for car contracts at a time when some countries are distancing themselves from Tesla due to Elon Musk’s controversial political activities.

On Thursday, Netanyahu reposted an article saying that his cabinet had invited Tesla to participate in a tender to supply vehicles to top Israeli officials.

The article, published in the Jewish News Syndicate on Thursday, cited a “senior Israeli government source” as saying that Tel Aviv is eyeing a fleet of the electronic vehicles.

“We aren’t going to bow to woke trends,” said the source cited by JNS. “A car is a car is a car. And a great car is a great car is a great car. Teslas are great cars, and we look forward to studying their bid.”

Musk, who owns both X and Tesla, posted in response “much appreciated.”

The American billionaire has been embroiled in a series of political controversies in recent months and has formed a strong partnership with US President Donald Trump, which has seen a boycott of the e-car in Europe and elsewhere.

The tech mogul is spearheading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in aid money for worldwide NGOs.

Tesla’s market capitalisation has more than halved since hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion on 17 December, erasing most of the gains the stock made after Musk backed Trump's win in the US election in November.

Earlier this week, Trump said violence against Tesla dealerships will be labeled domestic terrorism and perpetrators will “go through hell,” in a show of support for the electric carmaker’s chief and his ally, Musk.

It came after Trump appeared with Musk at the White House to select a new Tesla for his staff to use.

Elon Musk’s tumultuous love affair with Israel

Upon purchasing Twitter, as it was known at the time, Elon Musk promised to restore free speech to the platform; however, the Zionist lobby is attempting to force Musk to reinstitute censorship of commentary on Palestine.

Musk has been a widely controversial figure since taking on his government position, and Netanyahu – wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza – has come to his defense.

Netanyahu seems to be determined to forge stronger links with the world’s richest man and arguably the most influential figure in the new Trump White House.

Following Musk’s Nazi salute during Trump’s inauguration celebrations in January, Netanyahu came to his defense, describing the Tesla boss as “falsely smeared” and a “great friend of Israel.”

Netanyahu and his wife were also given a tour by Musk of the Tesla factory in California in September 2023, where they were briefed on the company’s future projects.

In November 2023, the billionaire toured with Netanyahu in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the sites targeted during the Hamas operation al-Aqsa Storm on October 7 of that year.

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