Police ramp up probe into ‘sickening’ nurses video
Police have seized hospital CCTV footage as they investigate a video showing two Sydney nurses claiming they would kill Israeli patients.
In the video shared by an Israeli influencer, one nurse in a NSW Health uniform boasts of sending Israeli patients to hell while another says “I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them.”
An update on the investigation will be provided on Thursday (AEDT), with police saying there had been “further developments overnight”.
“This is a sad day for our country, it is unthinkable that we are confronted with, and forced to, investigate such an appalling incident,” NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.
“The speed in which this incident was reported by NSW Health significantly assisted detectives in what is a very serious investigation.”
Detectives have examined CCTV footage, interviewed staff and pinpointed areas within Bankstown Hospital where they believe the video was allegedly filmed as part of the ongoing Strike Force Pearl.
An initial investigation of incidents and safety issues by NSW Health found no indication that claims Israeli patients had been denied treatment or killed were true.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said on Thursday there was “no evidence” so far of patients being harmed.
“There’s no evidence that there are more averse patient outcomes at this particular hospital than other particular hospitals,” he told ABC’s News Breakfast.
“But I want to be clear – we’ve really only begun that detailed work.
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“It has to be done very, very diligently because I want to be able to make sure that I can assure the community — and in particular the Jewish community, who are hurting over the last 24 hours — that they can continue to have faith, confidence, and trust in our health and hospital system here in NSW.”
One of the nurses, Ahmad “Rashad” Nadir, issued a “sincere” apology to the individual and community through his lawyer on Thursday morning.
He earlier told The Daily Telegraph that the video was a joke that went wrong.
“It was a joke, a misunderstanding … I will use social media, anything, to apologise but I need to go and see the detectives first,” he said.
“The entirety of what happened is just a mistake, OK? But I’m not in the mindset to talk about it right now.
“This is very serious for me, it’s all over the news — it’s not a small thing.”
A brother of the second nurse – who has been named by media as Sarah Abu Lebdeh – leapt to her defence and said she had been “set up” by the Israeli influencer who “edited” and “cut” the video.
“Sarah has wanted to be a nurse her whole life. She loved her job. She helps people, she doesn’t hurt them,” Mohamad Abu Lebdeh told the Daily Mail.
“That video was a set-up. You can see that it’s edited. You can see the jump cuts.
“Sarah said those things but she was pushed. She was baited.
“Sarah was born here, but has lost 70 family members in Palestine, completely wiped out.
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“She snapped. Anyone would, hearing that.
“To hear those things. It’s too much, but he cut that part out and made it look like she just said that.
“She was provoked. She is a nurse and has won awards.”
Political leaders widely condemned the video, including Park and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said the footage was “sickening” and shameful.
The two nurses were captured using a website for random video chats when they spoke with an Israeli influencer.
The male nurse, later identified as an Australian citizen and Afghan refugee with six years of nursing experience, falsely claimed he was a doctor and told the Israeli man he was “going to go to” hell.
The Israeli influencer Max Veifer told Sky the incident was an example of rising antisemitism in Australia.
“They should launch another investigation to see if they’ve done anything in the past. I’ve exposed two nurses, but how many else are there?” he said.
“Seeing medical staff who are supposed to treat people, everyone, seeing them saying these things made me sad. I don’t know who I can trust anymore.
“If I go under anaesthesia, can I trust these doctors? Should I tell them I’m from Israel?”
Later this year, NSW will hold a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism with a wide remit from security arrangements at synagogues to Holocaust education for students.
Liberal MP Chris Rath, who put forward the motion for the inquiry and is part of the Parliamentary Friends of Israel group, vowed to fight for the Jewish community.
“We will not accept antisemitic language and graffiti, doxxing, boycotts, death threats and violence as an acceptable means of public discourse,” he said.
“This inquiry is an opportunity to address past failings and correct course, taking proactive leadership to ensure antisemitism is stopped in its tracks.”
– with AAP
