Air Canada took swift action on Monday, removing one of its pilots from duty after he posted a series of now-deleted antisemitic images on social media.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the airline acknowledged the unacceptable posts made by the pilot and stated, “We are taking this matter very seriously.” The carrier emphasized its denunciation of violence in all forms.
We are aware of the unacceptable posts made by an Air Canada pilot. We are taking this matter very seriously, and he was taken out of service on Mon, Oct. 9. We firmly denounce violence in all forms.
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) October 10, 2023
Air Canada did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
The pilot in question, identified as Mostafa Ezzo by multiple outlets, appears to have deleted his social media profiles, including LinkedIn. However, screenshots of his posts continue to circulate on X.
One of the contentious posts featured in an Instagram story, where the pilot allegedly held a sign reading, “keep the world clean,” accompanied by an image of a person discarding the Israeli flag, as seen in a screenshot of the post.
Another deleted Instagram story screenshot showed the pilot in his uniform, wearing a Palestinian flag necktie.
Additional deleted posts reportedly contained statements where the pilot referred to Israel as a “terrorist state” and expressed sentiments that it should “burn in hell,” according to the New York Post.
These posts emerged amid global shock over a terrorist attack in Israel. The conflict escalated after Hamas entered Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians attending a musical festival. Numerous others were killed in their homes and on the streets, some taken hostage by Hamas, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the country in decades.
In response, Israel initiated airstrikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was “at war,” reaffirming this stance in a Monday address.
The conflict has already claimed the lives of over 2,200 individuals on both sides, according to The Associated Press.