‘Ready for them’: Nurses prepare for reprisal attacks

Two nurses at the centre of a vile video have reportedly refused to be voluntarily interviewed by police, and are preparing for the worst.

Two nurses at the centre of a vile video filmed inside Bankstown Hospital have reportedly refused to be voluntarily interviewed by police.

Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh remained holed up inside their homes in Bankstown and Greenacre.

It comes as the family of one of the nurses has claimed she has received death threats and they were expecting reprisals.

“We’re ready for them,” he said.

NSW Police have said that the pair have so far refused to talk to officers. They have also not been charged.

Israeli content creator Max Veifer sparked global headlines when he uploaded a clip of Bankstown Hospital nurses Ahmad “Rashad” Nadir and his female colleague Sarah Abu Lebdeh boasting about refusing to treat, and even killing, Israeli patients.

Mr Veifer frequently uses Chatruletka and Omegle, which are online platforms that pair users in random video chats, to expose instances of anti-Semitism and also to learn English.

The two nurses were recorded by Mr Veifer when they appeared on the chat.

“You have no idea how many (Israelis) came to this hospital, and I sent them to Jahannam (hell),” Mr Nadir said in the footage. He also made a throat-slitting gesture.

“I won’t treat them, I will kill them,” Ms Abu Lebdeh said when asked what she would do if an Israeli patient was on her ward.

The footage has led to the suspension of Mr Nadir and Ms Abu Lebdeh from NSW Health. It has now triggered a police investigation, handled by the Strike Force Pearl unit which focuses on anti-Semitic incidents in the state.

NSW government officials are investigating after nurses at Bankstown Hospital, Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, wearing their NSW Health uniforms were filmed declaring they refuse to treat Israeli people and would "kill them" if they present to their ward. Picture: NewsWire Handout

Sky News reporter Crystal Wu took to the streets of Bankstown, in Sydney.

“It’s a bit concerning because if someone is in need you just want to help them out regardless,” said one man to Sky.

His views reflected many on the Bankstown streets, regardless of background.

“This is a very bad statement,” said one woman of the nurses’ comments.

“Joke or no joke, and (it’s not) just about killing – anything – it’s just not acceptable.”

“I stand with them … in any way possible,” said one man.

Mr Nadir had told one newspaper the comments he made were just a “joke”.

“How far do you take a joke?” asked one local of that assertion.

“The world is really bad at the moment and to have these people in the medical profession that we have no choice but to trust and for them to come out and joke like that – it’s just not funny.”

“If someone is in need you just want to help them,” said one man. Picture: Sky News.

The comments were “not acceptable”, said a local. Picture: Sky News.

‘I stand with them’

However, not everyone in Bankstown was troubled by the nurses’ outbursts online.

“They have a free right to say whatever they want,” one man said.

“I stand with them in any way possible.”

When Sky News’ Ms Wu asked if that meant he “stood” with the nurses’ comments about killing Israelis, he turned the conversation to Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“What about all the kids that Jews have killed? Israel is killing kids in Palestine and people here are obviously hurt.”

”I stand with them”, said this man. Picture: Sky News.

‘Reprisals’

The brother of Ms Abu Lebdeh spoke to the Daily Mail on Thursday claiming that their family had lost 70 people in Palestine and her comments on that had been edited out of the video.

“That video was a set up. You can see that it’s edited. You can see the jump cuts,” said Mohammed Abu Lebdeh.

“Sarah said those things but she was pushed. She was baited.”

The family of Ms Abu Lebdeh has said that they now fear reprisals for her actions and had put “emergency plans” in place.

‘We are ready for them, we have seen what’s been said,” a man who said he was her uncle told the Daily Mail.

“They won’t get what they want. We will call the police”.

Mohammed Abu Lebdeh added that his sister had received death threats.

Neighbours of Mr Nadir told the publication “angry” people had been heading to his door.

”How far do you take a joke?” Picture: Sky News.

Lebanese Muslim Association Secretary Gamel Kheir said on Thursday that he “condemned” the comments made by the pair but not the pair themselves.

“My reaction is – as any fair, decent Australian’s would be – we condemn such hate speech, but I will not condemn the individuals,” he said.

“But that sort of speech in that sort of department has no place in Australia. Everyone should feel safe going to a hospital.”

He said the wider Muslim community of Australia had “no tolerance” for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or “ any form of racism or vilification at all”.

NSW health minister Ryan Park said there was no evidence there were “adverse patient outcomes” involving the two nurses.

However, a full investigation will be conducted to ensure the nurses’ treatment of patients wasn’t harmful, he said.

Moves are underway to strip the two nurses of their accreditation, with the Commonwealth investigating how it can prevent the pair working in any care capacity ever again.

Neither Ms Abu Lebdeh nor Mr Nadir has yet been charged.

Nurses ‘negotiating’ with detectives

Police say the full video of the two nurses filmed in a sickening anti-Semitic rant will be “critical” in laying charges.

After the emergence of the horrifying video on Wednesday, detectives swiftly began investigating the Bankstown Hospital employees, but The Australian has revealed the pair are yet to speak with police.

Instead, they have each hired lawyers who are now “negotiating” with detectives about when and how they will be questioned.

Originally published as ‘Ready for them’: Nurses prepare for reprisal attacks