- Ford’s X account was “compromised”, posting a message calling Israel a “terrorist state.”
- Despite efforts to control the situation, Ford’s Israeli website has a banner about the “hundreds kidnapped by Hamas” in the October attacks.
- It takes you to a website calling for the “safe return of all Israeli citizens” by “any means necessary.”
Following the Bud Light fiasco, Ford and a handful of other automakers decided to avoid controversial issues. However, the company is now at the center of the war in Gaza.
In a series of posts on X, Ford’s official account called Israel a “terrorist state” and expressed support for a “free Palestine.” Unsurprisingly, these weren’t the official views of the Dearborn-based automaker.
More: Hyundai Pauses Advertising On X After Being Shown Alongside Antisemitic Post
Quite the opposite, as Ford and Chief Communications Officer, Mark Truby, said their account was “briefly compromised.” They added the posts “do not represent the views of Ford Motor Company.”
While Ford and X are said to be investigating the incident, the discussion quickly turned ugly. Besides antisemitic comments and general hate, users quickly pointed to Henry Ford’s troubling past. The Henry Ford doesn’t shy away from this as the museum noted “Ford’s anti-Jewish sentiments ran deep” and were a “major reason for the publication of The International Jew.”
That’s a discussion no brand wants to have, but we discovered Ford’s Israeli website is surprisingly vocal. It has a banner mentioning the “Hundreds kidnapped by Hamas” and clicking it takes users to Bringthemhomenow.net. The site notes it has been over 450 days since Israel was attacked and numerous people were taken hostage. It also calls for them to be returned by “any means necessary.”
While that raises a few eyebrows, Ford’s Israeli website is “managed and operated by Delek Motors Ltd, an importer of cars manufactured by Ford to Israel.”
Regardless of how you feel about the conflict, the Blue Oval has a considerable footprint in Israel as the company opened a research center in Tel Aviv in 2019. There are also six dealers in the country, which sell a handful of models including the Bronco, Ranger, Explorer, Puma, and Mustang.
