iscover
A viral Tik-Tok video of two NSW nurses spewing anti-Semitic comments has led to the deregistration of the pair – meaning they can no longer practise nursing anywhere in Australia.
As previously reported on HR Leader, two NSW health nurses were caught on video spewing anti-Semitic vitriol – including death threats towards Jewish patients.
The video, which included a conversation between Israeli content creator Max Veifer – which he later shared to his Instagram – and NSW nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, saw the latter launch a tirade of comments that NSW Health Minister Ryan Park could only label as “dehumanising and unacceptable.”
Some of the comments included what can only be characterised as death threats towards Israeli patients, with the women claiming: “I won’t treat them, I will kill them.”
The man then followed up by stating that he sends “Israelis to Jahannam” while making a ‘throat-slitting’ gesture.
“You have no idea how many Israeli dog[s] came to this hospital, and I sent them to Jahannam,” said Nadir.
‘Jahannam’ translates to ‘hell’ in Arabic.
“It’s Palestine’s country, not your country, you piece of shit,” said Lebdeh.
As a result, the pair were quickly stood down and a thorough investigation was launched. Shortly after the investigation, Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care, announced that the registrations of the two were to be suspended effective as of 13 February 2025.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has now automatically updated their record on the public register of practitioners, forbidding them from practising nursing anywhere in Australia.
“Australians have a right to feel safe wherever they go, and nowhere should be safer than a hospital,” said Butler in a media statement.
“Health workers have a solemn duty to treat and heal everyone who comes before them needing help. The overwhelming majority hold to that oath.
“The idea that you would single out a particular group in our community and indicate you wouldn’t care for them, let alone actively threaten their lives, runs against every single principle in our health care system.
“Their sickening comments – and the hatred that underpins them – have no place in our health system and no place anywhere in Australia.”
Both Nadir and Lebdah worked at Bankstown Hospital and appeared in their NSW nursing scrubs in the video.
Speaking about the incident, NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce concluded that the video was “utterly disgusting”, yet it doesn’t represent the values of NSW and their workforce.
“The appalling comments and hate speech from the individuals in this video do not represent, and never have, the views or values of NSW Health – this includes the 180,000 dedicated, caring and kind people who make up our workforce,” Pearce said.
“There is absolutely no place in NSW Health for these views or behaviour.
“NSW Health condemns the views expressed and behaviour demonstrated in this video, and I assure everyone that every person in NSW receives safe, respectful care in our hospitals and health services.”
RELATED TERMS
According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, discrimination occurs when one individual or group of people is regarded less favourably than another because of their origins or certain personality traits. When a regulation or policy is unfairly applied to everyone yet disadvantages some persons due to a shared personal trait, that is also discrimination.
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
