The partner of a holocaust survivor has slammed Musk after he allegedly did a Nazi salute while addressing Trump supporters
Elon Musk’s Visit to Auschwitz: A Survivor’s Partner Speaks Out on the Billionaire’s Behavior
Auschwitz stands as a haunting reminder of one of the darkest chapters in human history—the genocide of millions of Jewish people and others during the Holocaust. Today, it serves as a historical site and an important destination for reflection and education. For Gidon Lev, a Holocaust survivor, visiting Auschwitz is deeply personal; it is where his father, Ernst Lev, perished during a death march.
Last year, Lev, originally from Czechoslovakia and now an Israeli dairy farmer, visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp as a “special guest.” He was accompanied by his partner, Julie Gray, a California native who moved to Israel in 2012 and met Lev five years later. Joining them was billionaire Elon Musk, whose presence at the site, and subsequent behavior, has become a topic of controversy.
Julie Gray Speaks Out
Julie Gray took to Facebook recently to reflect on Musk’s visit to Auschwitz, where he joined Lev for what Gray described as a “photo-op event.” In her post, she accused Musk of being “unmoved by the experience” and criticized his lack of engagement with the historical significance of the site.
“I see people posting that Elon was at Auschwitz this time last year—therefore, his recent ‘gesture’ is not antisemitic. I was there, too. Last year. With Elon,” Gray began in her post, dated January 22.
Gray explained that when the opportunity to include Musk in the visit arose, she and Lev initially believed it would bring attention to the importance of remembering the Holocaust. However, she now regrets that decision. “I am embarrassed that I have photos of this on my phone,” she wrote. “My love, Gidon Lev, was the ‘special guest’ of this photo-op event. We thought, at the time, that it would be good publicity. But I would not share the photo today.”
A Visit Lacking Empathy
Gray recounted the visit in vivid detail, describing Musk’s apparent detachment as they walked through the Auschwitz site. “I chatted with Elon Musk. I spent hours with him and walked with him through Auschwitz,” she wrote. “I stood with him, looking at the nauseating heaps of hair, luggage, and shoes flooded with violet light meant to preserve it.”
For Lev, the visit was profoundly emotional. Standing in the place where his father died was a moment of immense significance. “For Gidon, to be in the place where his father, Ernst, died on a death march—whether shot by the side of the road or having simply collapsed—was a huge deal,” Gray explained.
In contrast, Musk’s behavior left Gray disillusioned. “Elon did not care,” she said bluntly. “He was about his press junket and his bodyguards. I was ten feet from him as he posed for the cameras of his entourage. He was utterly detached. He cared about how he looked.”
Controversial Gestures and Statements
Musk’s visit to Auschwitz has resurfaced amid ongoing debates about his recent public actions and comments, some of which have drawn criticism for being tone-deaf or offensive. Just days before Gray’s post, Musk was accused of making a “Nazi salute” on two occasions during Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Musk’s defenders argued that the gesture was either a Roman salute or an innocent expression of gratitude to the crowd.
Adding to the controversy, Musk recently tweeted a series of Holocaust-related puns that many found distasteful. In one post, he joked, “Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Gőring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler! Bet you did nazi that coming.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which initially dismissed Musk’s alleged Nazi salute as an “awkward gesture,” later issued a stronger condemnation. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said, “The Holocaust was a singularly evil event, and it is inappropriate and offensive to make light of it. The Holocaust is not a joke.”
Gray’s Harsh Critique
In her Facebook post, Gray expressed her disappointment not just with Musk’s behavior during the visit but with the broader implications of his actions. She described Musk as a “sociopath” who failed to grasp the emotional weight of the experience.
“When he placed a wreath at Auschwitz and Gidon was overlooked, he walked away with the cameras whirring,” Gray wrote. “This is Elon Musk. A sociopath, if ever there was one. To deduce, from this visit, that he is a friend of the Jews is desperately naive.”
For Gray, the visit served as a stark contrast between Musk’s indifference and Lev’s deeply personal connection to the site.
Musk’s Participation in Holocaust Education
It’s worth noting that Musk’s visit to Auschwitz coincided with his participation in a symposium on antisemitism during the European Jewish Association’s conference in Krakow, Poland, in January 2024. At the time, Musk’s involvement in such initiatives was seen by some as an effort to combat rising antisemitism online, a significant issue in today’s digital age.
However, Gray’s post suggests that Musk’s actions during the Auschwitz visit lacked the sincerity needed to genuinely support Holocaust education and remembrance.
A Missed Opportunity
Musk’s visit to Auschwitz could have been a powerful moment to highlight the importance of Holocaust education and to honor the memories of those who suffered and died. Instead, Gray’s account paints a picture of detachment and missed opportunities for empathy.
As Holocaust survivors like Gidon Lev grow fewer in number, the responsibility to preserve and honor their stories becomes even more critical. Public figures like Elon Musk have a unique platform to amplify these narratives, but as Gray’s post indicates, such efforts must be accompanied by genuine care and respect.
UNILAD has reached out to Elon Musk for comment regarding these allegations.
