‘Made me feel numb’: Jewish MP Mike Freelander breaks silence after nurses’ anti-Semitic rant

Jewish MP Mike Freelander, a paediatric doctor, has broken his silence on rising anti-Semitism, saying a video of nurses claiming to kill Israeli patients left him ‘numb’.

A doctor and politician of Jewish faith has been forced to break his silence on a harrowing wave of anti-Semitism — the worst he has seen in his 71 years — after two nurses boasted on social media about killing Israeli patients.

Labor MP for Macarthur Dr Mike Freelander is a pediatrician who has worked in the southwest Sydney health network for four decades — the same network that employed nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, who spoke of killing Israeli patients.

The MP, who has privately advocated for more action on anti-Semitism but has publicly maintained a low profile out of fear of making matters worse, finally broke his silence in an exclusive interview with The Saturday Telegraph, revealing he was left shocked and reeling after seeing medical professionals claim to kill Israelis.

“I have looked after a whole range of people, every nationality, ethnicity, religion in the world,” he said.

“The one question I don’t ask is someone’s religion from a medical point of view … I have medical friends across the whole spectrum.

Dr Mike Freelander said the video of the nurses left him reeling. Picture: Martin Ollman

“I had a major medical problem 20 years ago and a doctor I respect a lot who is Muslim saved my life,” he said.

“We depend on a health system of people being agnostic. When you care for people, all those things are irrelevant.”

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 presented to their ward.

Dr Freelander said when he first heard about the video, he could not believe two health workers donned in hospital scrubs could make those comments.

“I was actually shocked … I saw the video and it made me feel numb,” he said.

“I have tried not to get into the debate because I think the anti—Semitic episodes we have seen in Sydney, I was affected by, I hated, it’s the worst I have seen in my lifetime.

“I didn’t want to make the problem worse so I haven’t been speaking out except privately (to the government and state authorities), but after what I saw I feel I do have to say something.”

Dr Freelander said the two nurses had done “a great disservice to the health system” after their “very upsetting” actions.

“My uncle was an honorary anaesthetist there for half a century, my cousin worked there as a pediatrician, I have another cousin who is a gastroenterologist there,” he said.

“Jewish doctors have been working at Bankstown Hospital for many many decades.”

The MP, who has cared for young people for 40 years, said it was crucial to focus on educating people who are carrying out these abhorrent acts.

“It is important that they are brought to justice … my great hope is that people can be educated and eventually forgiven,” he said.

“Young people do stupid things and they get themselves into trouble but they can be forgiven and rehabilitated.”

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Originally published as ‘Made me feel numb’: Jewish MP Mike Freelander breaks silence after nurses’ anti-Semitic rant