Sydney Nurse Charged Over Video Threatening Israeli Patients: Cannot Leave the Country

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A Sydney-based nurse has been charged after a video surfaced on social media in which she claimed she would refuse medical treatment to Israeli patients. Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, has been stood down from her position and is now facing serious legal consequences.

 

Lebdeh was arrested on Tuesday night at Sutherland Police Station and has been charged with three Commonwealth offences: threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh has been arrested for her comments in a viral video where she threatened to kill Israeli patients.

The Australian nurse faces charges of threatening violence, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace.

I really did not… pic.twitter.com/X4dyvi9wCC

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) February 25, 2025

 

The video in question featured Lebdeh and fellow Bankstown Hospital worker Ahmad Rashad Nadir in a conversation on the cam chat app Chatruletka. In the footage, the pair were seen boasting about refusing to treat Israeli patients, making threats against them, and claiming they would go to hell. Both individuals were promptly stood down pending an investigation.

 

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb described the charges against Lebdeh as "very, very serious" and confirmed that strict bail conditions had been imposed on her. "She is on very, very strict bail conditions, namely prohibiting her from going to a point of departure from Australia, but more importantly, banned from using social media," Commissioner Webb stated.

 

Lebdeh has been granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on March 19. Meanwhile, her colleague, Ahmad Rashad Nadir, has not been charged at this stage, as he is currently receiving ongoing medical treatment. However, NSW Police confirmed that he remains under investigation.

 

Commissioner Webb highlighted the complexity of the investigation, noting that detectives had worked tirelessly to collect evidence from overseas within just 13 days. "I don't think I would have ever imagined that an investigation of that complexity, across the other side of the world, would be done in such a short time," she said.

 

Speaking on ABC Radio Sydney, Commissioner Webb stated that while no evidence had been found to indicate any harm had come to patients at the hospital, NSW Health was conducting its own internal investigation. She described the case as "not straightforward," explaining that "given the nature of this offending, where we had two people here in NSW and the recording made overseas, it's been a complex investigation across borders."

 

Webb further elaborated on the challenges posed by the case, saying, "[There] has been a lot of work by investigators and support from overseas jurisdictions to get the statement from the influencer and have it converted to English and admissible in court. So not straightforward, and that's why we've gone with Commonwealth offences, through the advice of the Commonwealth DPP."

 

Lebdeh's arrest marks the 14th made under Strike Force Pearl, an operation targeting hate crimes. Authorities have laid a total of 76 charges under the operation.

 

This case comes shortly after Australia passed stricter laws against hate crimes in response to a rise in antisemitic attacks. Recent months have seen multiple incidents involving arson, graffiti, and vandalism targeting Jewish homes, vehicles, and synagogues across the country. In January, authorities discovered a caravan in New South Wales packed with power gel explosives, which police warned had the potential to cause a "mass casualty event." The find was accompanied by a document containing antisemitic sentiments and a list of Jewish targets in Sydney.

 

As Lebdeh awaits her court appearance, the case continues to draw significant attention, underscoring the broader concerns around rising antisemitic incidents and the enforcement of hate crime laws in Australia.

 

Based on a report by ABC News  2025-02-27

 

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