United Airlines Suspends Pilot for Praising Hamas Attacks on Israel

United Airlines has suspended one of its pilots, Ibrahim R. Mossallam, after he posted on social media, praising the actions of Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attacks on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took around 240 hostage. Mossallam, who is also a board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), called the attacks “resistance from brave people who have endured decades of occupation” and criticized the media for being biased in favor of Israel.

The pilot’s post was made on October 7, 2023, the same day as the attacks, but it did not receive much attention until November 21, 2023, when the account Stop Antisemitism shared screenshots of it on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The post sparked outrage and condemnation from social media users, who questioned how Jewish passengers and Israelis could feel safe flying with a pilot who supported Hamas, a designated terrorist organization by the US and many other countries.

United Airlines responded to the controversy by issuing a statement, saying: “This pilot has been removed from service, with pay, while we look into this matter.” The airline did not disclose the name of the pilot or the details of the investigation.

Mossallam has not publicly commented on the matter, but his Facebook page shows that he has posted several other messages expressing anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian views. He has also shared posts from CAIR, a Muslim civil rights group that has been accused of having ties to Hamas and other extremist groups.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, msn.com