Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, spoke on Wednesday with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and expressed his shock over a video showing two health care workers employed in a hospital in the state expressing hatred toward Israelis and Jews, even boasting that they "send them to hell." The viral video showed them boasting about killing Israeli patients and refusing to treat them
“Disturbing and appalling video circulating this morning showing NSW health workers expressing violent hatred towards Israelis,” Maimon wrote on his X account. “I spoke with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns earlier today and was assured that all necessary measures will be taken. This is unacceptable and has no place in society.”
Video showing two Australian health care workers' antisemitic remarks
Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel called for an investigation into the two individuals. "They are expressing criminal intent toward Jews and this must stop. Antisemitism is a disease spreading in Australia. This behavior must be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law and at the very least, they should be fired.”
“They violated the Hippocratic Oath, spoke of murdering Jews and exposed the real racism and hatred that the Jewish community in Australia faces today,” she added.
According to the BBC, the two are being questioned by the police.
The Australian Health Minister announced that the two will no longer be able to work in any medical system.
Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, identified by the BBC as siblings, were recorded in a video shared by Israeli content creator Max Veifer, confirming they worked at Bankstown Hospital in Sydney. When Veifer told Nadir he was from Israel, Nadir responded: “You’ll be killed and sent to Jahannam (hell).”
He added, “I'm so upset that you're Israeli. Eventually you're going to get killed and go to Jahannam, inshallah (God willing).” Abu Lebdeh joined in, saying, “It's Palestine's country, not your country, you piece of sh*t.”
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Nadir hinted at his interactions with Israeli patients. “You have no idea how many Israeli dog[s] came to this hospital and I send them to Jahannam.” Abu Lebdeh then declared, “I won’t treat them. I’ll kill them.” Nadir agreed, waving his hand in a threatening manner.
Following the viral video on social media, New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park announced the suspension of the two nurses, saying they “will not ever be working for New South Wales Health again."
He condemned their antisemitic remarks as "vile, shocking and appalling," assuring that Jewish community members "should be able to go to their local hospital when they need care and attention and get high-quality care that is safe and effective." Park added, “There is no place in our hospital and health system for this sort of view to ever take place.”
While Park said there was no evidence that Jewish or Israeli patients were denied proper care at Bankstown Hospital, he promised an "ironclad investigation." A police task force addressing recent antisemitic incidents in Sydney is expected to visit the hospital. “We’re working with law enforcement and will do everything to uncover the truth,” Park said.
Local Jewish community leaders accused Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government of allowing antisemitism to spiral out of control, emboldening figures like Nadir and Abu Lebdeh.
“This isn’t the first incident involving health care workers,” they said. “We’ve seen anti-Israel politics infiltrate hospitals, with doctors politicizing their work and signing anti-Israel petitions. There needs to be an inquiry into how many healthcare workers hold these murderous views.”
Australian media reported that Nadir is an Afghan refugee who arrived in Australia as a teenager. A Sydney clinic where he also worked previously listed him as having "a background in hospitals and emergency care, assisting doctors in a wide range of procedures." Since the video surfaced, the clinic has removed his name from its website.