Second nurse charged over viral ‘kill Israelis’ video
A second nurse has been charged over an allegedly threatening video in which he and a co-worker talked about refusing to treat and instead killing Israeli patients.
Ahmed Rasxhid Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh
Ahmed Rashid Nadir was arrested on Tuesday night and later hit with two charges after being filmed earlier in February in the random video chat with an Israeli activist and online influencer.
The 27-year-old and fellow nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh were recorded in the conversation while they were working at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, in Sydney’s southwest.
Nadir was charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence and being in possession of a prohibited drug.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on March 19.
Abu Lebdeh was previously hit with a similar commonwealth charge and additional allegations of threatening violence to a group and using a carriage service to threaten to kill.
She is due to appear in court for the first time on the same date.
Both had their nursing registrations suspended after the incident and were later barred from working in the profession anywhere nationwide by Australia’s health practitioner watchdog.
Nadir was taken to hospital for assessment earlier in February after paramedics were called to his Bankstown home following a “concern for welfare” report.
He has apologised for the comments, which he described as a joke gone wrong.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said a strike force investigating a spate of anti-Semitic incidents had shown tremendous dedication, resulting in the arrests of 15 people.
“Detectives have overcome many challenges – including huge public expectation – to put these individuals before the court,” she said.
Ms Webb previously said the investigation into the nurses’ video had not been straightforward because of “jurisdictional challenges” due to the Israeli influencer’s location.
“It is very complex because we’re dealing with not only offending in our jurisdiction, but it crosses global borders,” she said.
By Peter Dobkin /AAP
