An Air Canada pilot has been terminated from employment following the sharing of anti-Israel social media posts during a protest in Montreal.
In an announcement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, the airline confirmed, “We can confirm the pilot in question no longer works for Air Canada, following the process initiated on Monday.”
On Tuesday, the company stated that the employee had been relieved of duty after becoming aware of the posts, which it deemed “unacceptable.”
The U.S.-based organization StopAntiSemitism.org shared Instagram screenshots featuring an individual identified as Mostafa Ezzo. In the images, Ezzo was seen wearing his pilot uniform and holding a sign at a Montreal demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause, which included references to Hitler.
One of the Instagram screenshots from an account purportedly belonging to Ezzo promoted the protest with the caption: “Burn in hell.” Another post, allegedly attributed to Ezzo, depicted him holding a sign showing an Israeli flag being discarded into a trash can, accompanied by the message: “Keep the world clean.”
The social media accounts linked to Ezzo have since been removed.
The union representing Air Canada pilots, the Air Line Pilots Association, expressed its deep sorrow over the Middle East tragedies and condemned all forms of violence and hatred, along with any promotion of such actions, in a statement released on Tuesday. They emphasized their strong expectation that all their members adhere to these principles and their professional code of ethics.
The posts in question were associated with a demonstration held in Montreal following the recent attacks by Hamas militants in Israel and the subsequent military operation in Gaza launched by the Israeli government.
Photo Credit: Air Canada Twitter