A nursing union has been slammed for mentioning Islamophobia in its official response to the dismissal of two NSW Health workers caught on video saying they would not treat Jewish patients and instead would ‘kill them’.
Bankstown Hospital employees Ahmad ‘Rashad’ Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh – both of whom have Islamic backgrounds – appeared on an online video chat app which was recorded by Israeli social media influencer Max Veifer.
‘It’s Palestine‘s country, not your country you piece of s***,’ Abu Lebdeh said in the video which went viral on Wednesday.
‘One day your time will come and you will die the most horrible death.’
‘You have no idea how many (Israelis) came to this hospital and I sent them to Jehannam (hell),’ Nadir said, while making a throat-slitting gesture.
When asked what she would do if an Israeli patient presented in her ward, Abu Lebdeh responded: ‘I won’t treat them, I will kill them.’
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation responded with a statement which said it ‘condemns all forms of racism, bigotry and hatred, including acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia’.
However, the Australian Jewish Association described the union’s response as tone-deaf, arguing that adding ‘Islamophobia’ into the statement diluted the issue of anti-Semitism at hand.
‘This woke habit of needing to refer to every kind of discrimination instead of just condemning anti-Semitism needs to stop,’ Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory said.
‘There is no major issue of ‘Islamophobia’ in Australia’s healthcare system and in fact the nurses who threatened Jewish patients are both Muslim.
‘The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is attempting to paint Australians as racist and bigoted when they are not.’
He argued the video that sparked the statement was clearly anti-Jewish and organisations that seek to obscure that ‘are part of the problem’.
The ANMF, which represents more than 326,000 members, said it ‘stands for peace, love and respect for all and we defend the global human right to healthcare’.
Abu Lebdeh and Nadir have both apologised for the comments.
Nadir, 27, covered his face in shame when the media confronted him at his western Sydney home, and insisted the comments were ‘a joke and a misunderstanding’.
‘I will use social media, anything, to apologise but I need to go and see the detectives first,’ he said on Wednesday.
He was born in Afghanistan but fled with his family at the age of 12 after his father was killed.
He and his mother crossed Asia before risking their lives on a boat bound for Australia, and he gained Australian citizenship four years ago.
‘After spending four nights and five days, we reached international waters, and the Australian Navy rescued us and took us on board,’ he said in an interview three years ago.
He revealed how his family were taken to Christmas Island and Darwin after being plucked to safety at sea before eventually settling in Sydney.
In addition to his role at Bankstown Hospital, Nadir had also worked at Observatory Hill Medical Centre in central Sydney one day per week.
Dr Nirmal Singh Grewal, who founded the general practice 25 years ago, told Daily Mail Australia that Nadir was well liked, but had been fired from his job over the incident.
Solicitor Mohamad Sakr said 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.
Meanwhile, Abu Lebdeh’s uncle spoke out on her behalf yesterday, claiming she suffered an ‘extreme panic attack’ after the video went viral.
‘I’m trying to calm her down to see what the f*** happened,’ he said.
‘She’s been a nurse for God knows how long. She’s never done anything to hurt anyone.’
The incident has prompted Bankstown Hospital to delete a photo uploaded to its Instagram page showing a woman in a ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt, which was included in the hospital newsletter.
It’s understood Nadir and Abu Lebdeh have not yet spoken formally to police but are in contact with officers.
Detectives have also asked Mr Veifer for the full, raw version of the video he recorded showing the nurses making the vile comments, as they assess what charges, if any, can be laid.
NSW Premier Chris Minns conceded the incident had broken trust in the public health system.
‘We cannot have examples of naked racism from public servants exhibited on social media or anywhere,’ he told reporters on Thursday.
‘I can’t promise that every single health care worker doesn’t harbour the same hate or the same views, but what I can say is that the evidence is that it’s a small, small fraction,’ Mr Minns said.
A comprehensive review into the incident would take place, he added.
The comments have been condemned by political, medical and community leaders and sparked urgent audits of patient care at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.
Earlier, Health Minister Ryan Park said a ‘conversation’ would happen on Thursday with hospital staff to make clear such comments were unacceptable and to ensure people feel confident to seek care if they were sick or injured.
‘If we have a cultural issue or challenge in certain hospitals, then we’re going to get to the bottom of it,’ he told Nine’s Today show.
An initial examination by NSW Health found no evidence the care of any Israeli patients had been affected, but a more thorough investigation will follow.
