A Sydney nurse who allegedly made violent threats against Israeli patients in an online video has been charged with multiple offences.
Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, was arrested on Tuesday night at Sutherland Police Station following an investigation into a video in which she appeared to claim she would refuse to treat Israeli patients and wished them harm.
Lebdeh was 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. She was granted conditional bail and is set to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on 19 March.
The video, which circulated widely on social media, showed Lebdeh and fellow Bankstown Hospital worker Ahmad “Rashad” Nadir speaking with Israeli influencer Max Veifer on a chat platform. During the conversation, Lebdeh allegedly made a series of anti-Semitic remarks, at one point saying, “I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them.”
Both Lebdeh and Nadir were deregistered by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of NSW as of 13 February. While Nadir has not been charged, it is understood he is receiving ongoing medical treatment.
Lebdeh’s brother, Mohammed Abu Lebdeh, has since claimed the footage was manipulated, stating that her remarks were taken out of context and edited to remove comments about her own family members being killed in Palestine.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb praised investigators for their work in what she described as a complex case involving jurisdictional challenges.
“These charges have been laid following a lot of hard work and legal advice received from the Commonwealth DPP,” she said.
Health Minister Ryan Park previously confirmed there was no evidence that any patients had been harmed as a result of the incident, though NSW Health is continuing its own inquiry.
This is the 14th arrest made under Strike Force Pearl, an operation targeting threats and hate speech in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. So far, 76 charges have been laid.
