Elon Musk has accused the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organisation supposedly dedicated to fighting antisemitism and bigotry, of being a “hate group,” claiming the organisation “hates” Christians.
“The ADL hates Christians,” Musk posted on X. “Therefore, it is a hate group.”
His comment came in response to a screenshot from the ADL’s hate registry, which listed “Christian Identity” as an ideology associated with “extremism, hate, or terrorism.”
The ADL describes “Christian Identity” as a religious ideology popular among extreme right-wing circles.
According to the organisation, adherents believe that the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, which split from Judah under King Rehoboam and were exiled by the Assyrians in 722–721 B.C., migrated north to become the nations of Europe, later forming the basis of Christendom.
The ADL further characterises Christian Identity as a “racist and anti-Semitic sect” for asserting that people of European descent are the descendants of the “Lost Tribes” of Israel.
While no single document defines the Christian Identity belief system, and practices may vary by group, the ADL also notes that some adherents believe Jews are the offspring of an unholy union with Satan.
Musk has slammed the organisation before, accusing it of promoting “anti-White racism.”
In 2024, Musk reacted to a post on X that included a screenshot from the ADL’s website, showing their previous definition of “racism” before it was revised in 2022 following public backlash.
The definition read: “The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.”
In other words, the ADL’s definition implied that white people cannot be victims of “racism,” and that non-white individuals cannot be guilty of it.
Musk fired back, writing: “ADL needs to stop their anti-white racism now!”
In 2022, the ADL updated its 2020 definition of racism, changing it to “when individuals or institutions show more favorable evaluation or treatment of an individual or group based on race or ethnicity.”
It’s also not the first time the ADL has taken aim at European or Christian groups, previously labelling Norse Runes, the Celtic cross, Thor’s Hammer and phrases such as “It’s Okay to Be White” and “Christ is King” as inherently “antisemitic.”
The ADL has also listed Charlie Kirk’s organisation, Turning Point USA, under “extremism, hate or terrorism” for promoting “Christian nationalism,” accusing the group of “attracting racists.”
