Share and Follow
One of the two public hospital nurses under investigation over has apologised through his lawyer.
The comments, which emerged in a video on social media, have been condemned by political, medical and community leaders and sparked urgent audits of patient care at the nurses’ workplace in Sydney’s south-west.
NSW Police have seized CCTV footage from Bankstown Hospital as part of their investigation.
In the video shared by an Israeli influencer, one nurse appears to boast about sending Israeli patients to hell if they had to treat them while the other says “I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them.” Both are wearing hospital uniforms.
Solicitor Mohamad Sakr, representing the male nurse, said in footage aired by Nine News that his client is trying to “make amends for what has happened”.
“My client sends a very sincere apology to not only that individual but to the Jewish community as a whole,” he added.
Both nurses have been stood down.
Police will provide an update on their investigation on Thursday.
“This is a sad day for our country, it is unthinkable that we are confronted with, and forced to, investigate such an appalling incident,” NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.
“The speed in which this incident was reported by NSW Health significantly assisted detectives in what is a very serious investigation.”
Detectives have examined CCTV footage, interviewed staff and pinpointed areas within the hospital where they believe the video was allegedly filmed as part of the ongoing Strike Force Pearl investigation.
An initial examination by NSW Health found no sign any Israeli patients had been affected.
The video was widely condemned by political leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who said the footage was “sickening” and shameful.
The male and female nurses were captured using a website for random video chats when they spoke with an Israeli influencer.
The male nurse, later identified as Australian citizen and Afghan refugee Ahmad Rashad Nadir had six years of nursing experience.
He falsely claimed he was a doctor and told the Israeli man he was “going to go to” hell.
NSW will later this year hold a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism with a wide remit from security arrangements at synagogues to Holocaust education for students.
Liberal MP Chris Rath, who put forward the motion for the inquiry and is part of the Parliamentary Friends of Israel group, vowed to fight for the Jewish community.
“We will not accept antisemitic language and graffiti, doxxing, boycotts, death threats and violence as an acceptable means of public discourse,” he said.
“This inquiry is an opportunity to address past failings and correct course, taking proactive leadership to ensure antisemitism is stopped in its tracks.”
