Tesla has been invited to bid to provide its vehicles for State-sponsored usage in Israel, a new report from local media says, not caring about the pushback the company has received for its CEO Elon Musk’s work with President Donald Trump.

Israeli government officials are seeking a fleet of vehicles to be used by the top officials in the area. A new report from JNS states that sources revealed to it on Thursday that Tesla was one company the government requested a bid from because they believe their cars are “great.”

According to a senior official in the Israeli government, they are not worried about the thoughts of those who are “woke,” because they want a safe and quality vehicle:

“We aren’t going to bow to woke trends. A car is a car is a car. And a great car is a great car is a great car. Teslas are great cars and we look forward to studying their bid.”

Tesla seems to be an ally of the Israelis, especially considering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments on the CEO during the Presidential Inauguration on January 20:

“Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7, [2023], massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s right to defend itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who seek to annihilate the one and only Jewish state.”

Tesla has gained plenty of attention from governments in terms of fleets of vehicles in recent months.

Not only did Israel express interest, but there was some indication that the United States was interested in using Tesla EVs for a fleet of armored vehicles back in January as State Department documents indicated the company would be in prime position to win a contract to be awarded later this year.

Ultimately, Tesla’s name was removed from the State Department list after some uproar.

As far as the Israeli contract goes, there is no indication of what other companies might have been invited to bid on the fleet.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sharp words for MSNBC after the media outlet related U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning about attacks on the electric vehicle maker and its customers to acts of protest.

As per Musk, such a relation is insane, as extreme actions that have been taken against Tesla are not legitimate forms of protest.

Tesla Attacks

Amidst Elon Musk’s work with the Trump administration and his increasingly political nature, attacks against Tesla have seen a notable rise in the past months. Tesla showrooms have been shot up, vandalized, and set on fire in acts of alleged arson. Supercharger stations have also been set on fire. One Tesla store was even attacked with Molotov cocktails.

Worse, even private Tesla owners have seen their vehicles get attacked by vandals and critics. One Cybertruck owner noted on social media that one of his passengers actually got physically hurt when an anti-Tesla activist attacked his all-electric pickup truck.

In response to these attacks, Trump shared a stern warning to would-be Tesla attackers. As per Trump, anyone that hurts an American company, “especially a company like this that supplies so many jobs that others are unable to do,” will go through hell when they are apprehended.

MSNBC’s Response

In a segment, MSNBC framed the U.S. President’s warning as Trump simply looking out for a fellow billionaire—one whose company is failing. Interestingly enough, the media outlet’s hosts and panel did not mention or acknowledge any of the violent and dangerous attacks that have been directed at Tesla and Tesla owners as of late.

“You also, overnight, have his post claiming that protests at Tesla dealerships are illegal. He (Trump) said today he would label violence against dealerships domestic terrorism… So just to be clear, you protest a private company, you are labeled by this administration a domestic terrorist,” MSNBC noted.

Musk Strikes Back

Musk did not mince words in his criticism of the media outlet. In response to a video shared on X of MSNBC’s segment, Musk wrote, “Wow, they’re totally insane.” Musk also clarified the rather simple distinction that while peaceful protests are no issue, shooting Tesla stores and burning Superchargers are a step too far.

“Death threats, shooting up Tesla stores, and burning down Superchargers are definitely not “legitimate forms of protest!”” Musk wrote in his post.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe showed some support for Tesla despite all the Elon Musk hate that has been spreading. Scaringe’s stance on all the Tesla amid the protests and vandalism starkly differs from what seems to be the popular opinion lately.

RJ Scaringe attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin earlier this week. The Rivian CEO briefly talked about Tesla and its current predicament.

“When we look at Tesla and other manufacturers, I think it’s incredibly important that we have [a] choice. We need Tesla to be successful, we need other manufacturers to be successful,” answered Scaringe graciously.

In the past, Scaringe has talked about the electric vehicles industry’s growth and how EV automakers need to offer different designs to help it expand. He acknowledges that Tesla started the current EV revolution and once called it a “very inspirational” company. However, the Rivian CEO also encourages EV automakers to make their own mark in this rising industry.

“If you’re a consumer that’s thinking about buying a car and you want to spend less than $50,000, there are just not that many great electric options,” Scaringe noted during his SXSW appearance.

He noted that the base Tesla Model Y is less than $50,000 but also pointed out that it might be someone’s design or brand preference. In Rivian’s case, nature lovers were attracted to the company’s designs and features.

“I was sort of fortunate [to attract buyers who like nature]. I love the outdoors, active sports, and things like that,” Scaringe said. “But there’s also a strategy to realize that if we can build a product that enables and inspires people to be outdoors, it’s going to help people to want to be active participants in sustainability.”

Rivian signed a 2-year headlining sponsorship agreement with SXSW. It has planned plenty of fun activities and exhibits for the annual festival, including an Electric Roadhouse space inspired by Texas Roadhouse.

Rivian R1T and R1S demo drives are available at SXSW until the end of the event on March 15, 2025. The Rivian R2 will also be on display during the festival.