A California Tesla owner who came under fire for his allegedly ‘anti-Semitic’ license plate has insisted it was a ‘misunderstanding’.
The DMV was forced to apologize after activists StopAntisemitism highlighted a vehicle bearing the license: ‘LOLOCT7’.
The group and many others read the plate to be a ‘vile’ reference to the Hamas attack of October 7 that saw 1,200 Israelis murdered.
However, the Cybertruck owner’s Filipino son has since spoken out to reveal that any reference to the atrocity was purely coincidental.
He explained to KABC Los Angeles that the ‘LOLO’ was a reference to the Tagalog word for grandfather, ‘CT’ stands for Cybertruck while the ‘7’ indicates the number of grandchildren the owner has.
‘I think this is just a total big misunderstanding,’ the owner, who asked not to be identified, explained. ‘We have great empathy for anyone who has experienced any hatred.
‘We would really appreciate, in turn, for anyone that’s seeing this or hearing this to have any empathy toward our family because we had no ill intent for anything.’
It came after StopAntisemitism hit out at the ‘sickening display’ on the vehicle in Culver City, which it described as ‘celebrating terrorism’.
A California Tesla owner who came under fire for his ‘anti-Semitic’ license plate has revealed it was a ‘misunderstanding’
The DMV was forced to apologize after activists group StopAntisemitism highlighted a vehicle bearing the license: ‘LOLOCT7’
The moment an Israeli is attacked by a Palestinian during the October 7 2023 massacre that killed 1,200
The DMV admitted that the license plate should not have made it through the vetting process.
‘We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process,’ the statement read.
‘The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.’
The plate was then recalled as the agency reviewed its approval process.
October 7 has become synonymous with tragedy for many people as it marks the date that 1,200 Jewish people were massacred when Hamas stormed into Israel in 2023.
More than 45,000 Palestinians have also been killed by Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza, with thousands more poised to perish in an impending famine.
The initial October 7 murders saw many Americans celebrate what they claimed was a pushback against ‘colonial settlers.’
Such celebrations sparked widespread revulsion and saw scores of people who’d participated lose their jobs.
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