Henry Ford's Controversial Clash with Jewish Organizations

Henry Ford, the auto tycoon, used his newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, to spread antisemitic conspiracy theories nearly a century ago. In a similar vein, Elon Musk, often compared to Ford, faced controversy over antisemitism and free speech on his platform X (formerly Twitter). Musk accused the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of trying to kill his platform and expressed support for the hashtag #BanTheADL. While Ford promoted and believed in antisemitic theories, Musk's criticism is seen as a defense of his platform rather than animosity towards Jewish people. The Ford trial in the 1920s served as a prelude to ongoing debates within Jewish organizations about responding to hate speech, a problem that has now shifted online.