Police are preparing to lay charges against two Sydney nurses who insisted they wouldn’t treat Jewish patients and boasted about wanting to kill them.
Detectives have asked Israeli influencer Max Veifer for the full, raw version the video showing the nurses making the vile comments.
Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, from Bankstown Hospital in Sydney’s west, were filmed by Mr Veifer on a public video chat forum.
The video, which went viral on Wednesday, showed the pair working a late shift at the hospital – dressed in their NSW Health-branded scrubs – while hurling insults at Jews.
‘It’s Palestine’s country, not your country you piece of s***,’ Abu Lebdeh said.
‘One day your time will come and you will die the most horrible death.’
‘You have no idea how many (Israelis) came to this hospital and I sent them to Jehannam (hell),’ Nadir said, while making a throat-slitting gesture.
When asked what she would do if an Israeli patient presented in her ward, Abu Lebdeh responded: ‘I won’t treat them, I will kill them.’
Police from Strike Force Pearl, set up to investigate anti-Semitic crimes across Sydney, were on Wednesday night waiting for the full video from Mr Veifer as they considered what charges can be laid against Nadir and Abu Lebdeh.
Both nurses were stood down on Wednesday while NSW Health launched its own investigation into the incident.
Health Minister Ryan Park said he had immediately asked senior NSW Health staff to take action as soon as he became aware of the ‘appalling’ video.
Reporters approached both nurses for comment at their respective Sydney homes.
Abu Lebdeh’s uncle spoke on her behalf outside her house, claiming she was suffering an ‘extreme panic attack’ after the video went viral.
‘I’m trying to calm her down to see what the f*** happened,’ he said.
‘She’s been a nurse for God knows how long. She’s never done anything to hurt anyone.’
Nadir, 27, covered his face in shame when the media confronted him at his Western Sydney home, and insisted the comments were ‘a joke and a misunderstanding’.
‘I will use social media, anything, to apologise but I need to go and see the detectives first,’ he said.
The saga has forced Bankstown Hospital to delete a photo uploaded eight months ago showing a pro-Palestine activist from its Instagram page.
Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel took to X on Wednesday to back calls for an investigation into the pair.
‘There needs to be an investigation immediately into these two n medical professionals who are saying they will kill Israeli patients – and suggesting that they already have.
‘They are expressing criminal intent towards Jewish people, this must be stopped.’