NEW YORK — An FDNY EMT has been suspended as the department investigates accusations that he posted anti-Israel remarks on social media.
Bryan Antolos, assigned to EMS Battalion 13 in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood, allegedly wrote the comments on his Instagram story, according to screenshots shared by the Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism on X, The New York Post reported.
“Israel and the United States do not deserve to exist anymore,” Antolos reportedly posted, along with a statement claiming, “The only way to beat the system is to remove it from the face of [the] planet entirely.”
StopAntisemitism is horrified to learn that FDNY has a dangerous antisemitic and anti-American EMT in their ranks. Bryan Antolos has:
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 20, 2024
- stated Israel & America do not deserve to exist anymore
- claimed the only way to beat the system (Israel & America) is to remove them from the… pic.twitter.com/4sDTw8twjm
Additional posts attributed to Antolos allegedly said, “Any group or country the US government claims is our enemy, is almost always on the right side of history,” ending the statement with, “The world will only know peace when it removes Israel from the map.”
StopAntisemitism called on the FDNY and Mayor Eric Adams to act.
Antolos’ Instagram account has since been deactivated, and he did not respond to questions from The New York Post.
The FDNY confirmed Antolos’ suspension to the New York Post and launched an investigation into the posts. The department’s social media states that “members are urged to avoid sharing or creating social media content that may be perceived as harassing, discriminatory, or may bring the Department into disrepute.”
