In the wake of the Bud Light fiasco, Ford and a handful of other automakers avoided debatable problems. However, the company is now in the midst 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.”
As Ford and X investigated the incident, the argument temporarily turned sour. In addition to anti-Semitic comments and widespread hate, users were quick to point out Henry Ford’s disturbing past. The Henry Ford Museum is coy about saying this, as the museum wrote that “Ford’s anti-Jewish emotions ran deep” and were an “important explanation for why The International Jew was published. ”
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.”
Surprisingly, Ford’s Israeli business is “managed and operated through Delek Motors Ltd, an importer of cars manufactured through Ford in Israel. “
Regardless of your opinion on the war, the Blue Oval has had a large presence in Israel since the company opened a center in Tel Aviv in 2019. There are also six dealerships in the country that sell a handful of models, adding Bronco, Ranger, Explorer, Puma and Mustang.