Two Australian nurses have been suspended after a viral video showed them threatening to kill Israeli patients and boasting about refusing them treatment. The pair face criminal and health prosecutions over their “sickening and shameful” claims.
The man and woman – both employees at a Sydney hospital – are now being investigated by NSW state police after their anti-semitic tirade went viral, news.com.au reports.
In the video, the male nurse, later identified as Ahmad “Rashad” Nadi, an Afghan refugee taken in and given shelter by Australia, falsely claimed he was a doctor and told the Israeli interviewer he was “going to go to” hell.
“It’s Palestine’s country, not your country,” a female nurse identified as Sarah Abu Lebdeh added before detailing how she’d approach Israeli patients.
“I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them.”
“You have no idea how many Israeli (sic) … came to this hospital and … I send them to (hell),” the man said.
The video was originally shared on TikTok by content creator Max Veifer before others added their thoughts on X.
This is utterly sickening to watch. Their unrepentant, gleeful hatred is the precursor to the violence we are experiencing in our country and it must be stamped out. These two medical professionals employed by NSW Health must be identified and immediately removed from any… pic.twitter.com/P6tHjA6kex
— Alex Ryvchin (@AlexRyvchin) February 11, 2025
NSW State Health Minister Ryan Park said a “thorough investigation” would be carried out to make sure there had been “no adverse [patient] outcomes”, but that a “rapid” examination of hospital records had not turned up anything unusual.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the video as “sickening and shameful” after it began circulating online.
It comes less than a week after Australia passed tougher laws against hate crimes following a wave of high-profile anti-semitic attacks which have spread right across the country.
The health minister said both had been stood down immediately, and promised that they would never work in the NSW healthcare system again.
The Jewish community – already on edge after a sharp rise in violent anti-semitic attacks – said any failure to lay charges against the nurses with existing laws would highlight the need for reform to outlaw the behaviour.
Others went to social media to express their disgust at the rising tide of antisemitism in Australia flourishing under a left-wing Labor government in Canberra led by Albanese.
The Bankstown Hospital antisemitism shows how truly sick Australia has become. No Australian should fear entering a hospital. We have so much work to do.
— Senator Andrew Bragg (@ajamesbragg) February 12, 2025
Today Mark Latham and I spoke about the alarming rise of antisemitism in Australia and its connection with our immigration program.
— John Ruddick MLC (@JohnRuddick2) February 12, 2025
Labor minister, the Hon Mark Buttigieg, then told us we were wrong. You decide.@RealMarkLatham pic.twitter.com/AA1sjRyyRc
Bankstown Hospital has now scrubbed this image from their website. It shows a Muslim staff member wearing a "Free Palestine" shirt and a necklace with the entire map of Israel, at a work function with the controversial Lebanese Muslim Association. pic.twitter.com/84x97Lg5rl
— Daniel (@VoteLewko) February 12, 2025
Hard to believe there's only two nurses at the Bankstown hospital who are a risk to patients.
— Monica (@monicaoshea) February 12, 2025
For two people to be openly saying they are going to kill Jews and normalising it, there would be a culture of this
Every staff member needs to be investigated
If the absolutely vile comment are established as fact
— Jeff Kennett (@jeff_kennett) February 12, 2025
As a minimum the 2 should be jailed fora long time.
If Australians, born here, or naturalised, theyshould have their citizenship revoked,
And if born overseas sent back to their country of origin.
Finally all govts should…
“It is of profound concern that individuals can … scandalously claim that they have killed seven patients, just because they are Israeli, and that that could be within the confines of the law,” NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said.
Late Wednesday female nurse Lebdeh reportedly said “sorry” for her remarks and claimed to have been experiencing an extreme panic attack in the wake of the controversy, a man identifying himself as her uncle told The Australian newspaper.
The family of a muslima nurse who threatened to kill Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital ATTACK a journalist outside her home.
— Mark Rowley (@MarkWRowley) February 12, 2025
Peaceful, assimilating, remorseful, cooperative bunch, aren’t they? 🤭 pic.twitter.com/0X4SUaFnfe
“I’m trying to calm her down to see what the f**k happened,” he said outside her home.
“She’s been a nurse for God knows how long. She’s never done anything to hurt anyone.”
