United Airlines has temporarily grounded one of its pilots, Ibrahim R. Mossallam, following the emergence of his controversial social media posts, allegedly praising Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
The posts, dated October 7, were brought to light by the account Stop Antisemitism on X.
Mossallam's posts reportedly lauded the actions of Hamas, which resulted in the death of 1,200 individuals and the capture of approximately 240 hostages, including elderly Holocaust survivors. He purportedly referred to these attacks as "resistance from brave people who have endured decades of occupation."
The pilot also allegedly criticized the media's portrayal of the Palestine-Israel conflict, suggesting that it was heavily biased and failed to represent the Palestinian perspective. He further contended that the October 7 attacks, which included the burning of infants, were not unprovoked.
Mossallam reportedly encouraged his followers to broaden their media literacy and to exercise due diligence when assessing the actions of Hamas terrorists.
United Airlines confirmed Mossallam's suspension in a statement to The Post, saying, "This pilot has been removed from service, with pay, while we look into this matter."
The airline and Mossallam faced severe backlash on social media for his alleged antisemitic remarks. The Stop Antisemitism account questioned the safety of Jewish passengers on flights piloted by Mossallam. Another user, Mor Hogeg, vowed to boycott United Airlines until the pilot was dismissed.
When contacted, a man at Mossallam's number directed inquiries to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), where Mossallam serves on the board of directors, as reported by the Daily Mail. CAIR has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Mossallam is not the first pilot to face repercussions for alleged antisemitic social media posts. Air Canada previously grounded First Officer Mostafa Ezzo for his inflammatory Instagram post against Israel. Similarly, Victoria Ruiz, a NYC public defender, was compelled to resign after she was caught removing posters of hostages held by Hamas.
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