Pro-Palestinian advocates have been pressuring Elon Musk to allow Starlink to be used in Gaza after Israel cut off all communications as they began their invasion.
AOC was one of them:
Cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable. Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered.
I do not know how such an act can be defended. The United States has historically denounced this practice. https://t.co/L9iV7TSs2u
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2023
First of all it can easily be defended because Hamas controls Gaza and will use whatever means they can to fight the IDF, including communications with their terrorist superiors and benefactors in Iran and Qatar.
Elon Musk responded that he will support Starlink for internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza:
Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.
[ComStar]
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
Musk also responded to others that he would support the use of Starlink by the UN as well:
We will support the UN and other internationally recognized aid groups
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
A member of the Knesset and Israeli Minister of Communications responded to Musk saying Israel will fight this because Hamas will use Starlink for terrorist purposes:
“Israel will use all means at its disposal to fight this. HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities. There is no doubt about it, we know it, and musk knows it. HAMAS is ISIS. Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink.”
Israel will use all means at its disposal to fight this.
HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities. There is no doubt about it, we know it, and musk knows it. HAMAS is ISIS.
Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters,… https://t.co/pRNOlnINbZ
— 🇮🇱שלמה קרעי – Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) October 28, 2023
🚨 Musk responded that Starlink will go to extraordinary means to ensure it is only used for purely humanitarian reasons and not for terrorism:
We are not so naive. Per my post, no Starlink terminal has attempted to connect from Gaza. If one does, we will take extraordinary measures to confirm that it is used only for purely humanitarian reasons. Moreover, we will do a security check with both the US and Israeli governments before turning on even a single terminal.
We are not so naive.
Per my post, no Starlink terminal has attempted to connect from Gaza.
If one does, we will take extraordinary measures to confirm that it is used *only* for purely humanitarian reasons.
Moreover, we will do a security check with both the US and Israeli…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023