Chicago resident Peter Katz found stickers with Nazi symbolism on his Tesla last month. (Facebook)
(JTA) — As he walked up to his Tesla just days after his twins’ b’nai mitzvah last month, Peter Katz was surprised to find a sticker with a swastika.
Another one offered an explanation. It read “Heil Elon.”
People have vandalized Tesla dealerships, as well as some individual Teslas, in protest of CEO Elon Musk’s work in the Trump administration, where he has pursued drastic cuts to the federal workforce. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the vandalism “domestic terrorism.” Musk also drew widespread condemnation for making a gesture that resembled a Nazi salute at a Trump inauguration rally.
Katz, who lives in Chicago, removed the stickers, watched his security camera’s footage of the incident and posted about it on Facebook — decrying the vandalism and tagging local officials. He filed a police report. Radio and TV stations took notice, especially after his car was vandalized again a few days later.
Katz’s experience demonstrated that protests ostensibly meant to criticize Musk — especially when directed at individual cars — could be antisemitic in effect, if not intent. Katz bought his Tesla two years ago, prior to Musk’s entry into government, and has spoken out about antisemitism repeatedly since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
“I’m taking this outside of politics,” he told a local NBC affiliate. “You can’t put symbols on anything that represents hate. You know, whatever your beliefs are, just don’t go that route.”
Less than two weeks after he first found the stickers, Katz noticed something else had been left for him. It was an apology note.
“I saw the story on the news, I did not know your family was Jewish and that this would cause immense harm to you and your family,” the letter read. “I am incredibly sorry for what I did, I did not mean to insult you and your family.”
The writer said he had relatives who were impacted by Musk’s slashing of the federal government — and left anti-Musk stickers that, he suggested, Katz should place on his car. They read, “Anti-Elon Tesla Owner!” and “I Bought This Before We Knew Elon Was Crazy!”
“I lashed out in anger, marking Teslas inappropriately,” the letter to Katz read. “It was wrong, I know that now. Know that this move was not made towards you but to try and disparage Elon’s brand further. What he has done to millions of Americans is unforgivable. I hope you understand the frustration many of us are feeling.”
When Katz asked his Facebook friends whether he should accept the apology, they were split. One wrote, “I don’t know if I would accept the apology, but I just wanted to commend you for taking a stand. “
Since raising awareness about the incident, Katz posted again to Facebook saying that he had met with local officials. But he isn’t satisfied with the note. He wants the perpetrator to come forward.
“The story keeps on going!!!” he posted early Tuesday morning. “Maybe this person will actually come clean and admit it. Here is to hoping!”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
