Australian Nurse Charged with Death Threats Over Video Boasting of Harm to Israeli Patients

A nurse in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has been charged with making death threats and other offenses related to a viral video in which hospital staff appeared to boast about harming and denying treatment to Israeli patients, Al Jazeera reports.

NSW Police announced on Wednesday that a 26-year-old woman had been charged with three offenses, including threatening violence to a group and using a carriage service to threaten to kill. Local media identified the woman as Sarah Abu Lebdeh.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated that Abu Lebdeh is prohibited from leaving Australia and using social media as part of “very, very strict” bail conditions. She is scheduled to appear in court in Sydney on March 19.

The charges stem from a video that surfaced online earlier this month showing two staff members at a Sydney hospital allegedly bragging about harming Israeli patients. The footage sparked widespread condemnation.

In the video, shared by Israeli content creator Max Veifer, Abu Lebdeh allegedly told the influencer that she would not treat Israelis seeking medical attention and would “kill them.” The video also purportedly featured a male hospital staff member stating that he had sent numerous Israeli patients to “Jahannam,” the Arabic word for hell.

While identified in local reports as Ahmad Rashad Nadir, the male staff member has not been charged in connection with the incident.

Health authorities have banned both individuals from working in healthcare “in any context” due to the severity of their alleged statements. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as “disgusting, sickening, and shameful.”

Health officials have clarified that they have found no evidence that any patients were adversely affected by the alleged actions or statements.

The incident has occurred against a backdrop of rising concerns about antisemitism in Australia. The country has experienced a wave of antisemitic incidents in recent months, including an alleged bomb plot and several arson attacks on synagogues.

Advocacy groups have reported a surge in both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel and Israel initiated its military operation in Gaza.