Two nurses in a Sydney area hospital who were later identified as Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh were suspended on Wednesday after a video of them gloating about killing Israeli patients went viral.

The story itself quickly drew international attention and condemnation.

The video, published by Israeli influencer Max Veifer, who posts video chats to random people about Israel to publicize his English language courses, showed the two nurses [although one falsely identified himself as a doctor], responding to Veifer when he said he was from Israel. The conversation took place during their night shift overnight Tuesday at Bankstown Hospital. Sky News reported that Veifer randomly came across the two on Chatruletka, a video chatroom that randomly connects users.

Nadir, the male nurse responded: “ “I’m so upset that you’re Israeli. Eventually, you’re going to get killed and go to Jahannam (hell), inshallah (G-d willing).”

A female nurse then piped in explaining that he’ll be killed “because it’s Palestine’s country, not yours, you piece of *** One day, your time will come and you will die in the most…. *********[multiple expletives]. When your time comes, I want you to remember my face so that you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death.”

Veifer then asked: “Let’s say an Israeli, G-d forbid, comes to your hospital?” Abu Labda interjected, “I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them.”

Veifer: “You’ll kill them?! So if an Israeli is in Australia and G-d forbid something happened to him and he comes to your hospital…”

Abu Labda interjected, “Not G-d forbid, I would hope to G-d.”

Nadir then says: “You have no idea how many [Israelis] came to this hospital, and I sent them to [slaughtering gesture] to Jahannam [hell]. I literally sent them to Jahannam.”

After the video went viral on social media, New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park announced that the two were immediately suspended, saying they “will not ever be working for New South Wales Health again.”

He apologized to the Jewish community, adding: “I say not only am I sorry, but I can assure you this: the care that you get in our hospitals will continue to be first class.”

An investigation into the nurses’ claims that they denied treatment or mistreated or even killed Jewish or Israeli patients has been opened at the hospital.“We’re working with law enforcement and will do everything to uncover the truth,” Park said.

Local Jewish community leaders said that this isn’t the first antisemitic incident involving healthcare workers, casting blame on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s liberal government for emboldening people like Nadir and Abu Lebdeh.

Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said there has been increasing extremism among Australia’s medical professionals toward Sydney’s Jewish community.

“For months, I’ve been hearing from medical practitioners in the community who have been warning about extreme content posted by other doctors and nurses online,” Ryvchin told Network 10 television, adding this was not the work of “isolated individuals.”

“This is merely the tip of the iceberg,” Ryvchina added.

According to Australian media, Nadir is an Afghan refugee who arrived in Australia as age 12, and Abu Lebde is his sister. A Sydney clinic where he also worked has removed his name from its website.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)