Elon Musk set to visit Israel after tech conference is rescheduled
Delayed by the Iran conflict, the summit’s new May 18 date revives plans for Musk’s high-profile appearance and discussions around autonomous driving in Israel.
A planned visit by Elon Musk to Israel, which was canceled earlier this year amid the war with Iran, is now back on, after organizers rescheduled the conference where he is set to appear for May 18.
Musk is expected to participate in the International Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv, a gathering of technology and transportation leaders focused on autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. The conference had originally been postponed from its earlier date due to the security situation, casting doubt over whether Musk would ultimately make the trip.
The renewed schedule restores what could become a high-profile visit at a sensitive moment, both for Israel and for the global technology industry. Musk’s participation had been expected to draw attention to Israel’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and autonomous transportation.
Among the speakers expected to appear alongside Musk are Amnon Shashua, founder of Mobileye, and Dror Bin of the Israel Innovation Authority.
Musk’s planned appearance is tied to broader discussions between Tesla and Israeli officials regarding the potential launch of the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in the country. Any such deployment would require regulatory approval, including a license to operate autonomous driving systems on Israeli roads.
The visit itself was first discussed during a call in late December between Musk and senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and Erez Askal, director of the National Artificial Intelligence Directorate. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the conversation focused on advancing artificial intelligence technologies and positioning Israel as a global leader in the field.
At the center of those discussions was the question of whether Israel would grant Tesla permission to deploy its advanced driver-assistance systems locally.
The rescheduling also revives what would be Musk’s first visit to Israel since November 2023, when he traveled to the country in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. During that visit, he toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza alongside Netanyahu and met with families affected by the violence.
