Australian authorities have charged 26-year-old Sydney nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh with federal offenses after she vowed in a viral video to refuse treatment to Israeli patients. The case emerges amid record antisemitic attacks in Australia, including synagogue arsons and targeted vandalism, raising alarms about escalating ethnic tensions.
Lebdeh faces three charges carrying up to 22 years imprisonment:
- Threatening violence against a group
- Using communications networks to menace/harass
- Issuing death threats via digital platforms
Police arrested the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital nurse following her February 11 online exchange with Israeli influencer Max Veifer.
I won't treat Zionists,Lebdeh declared in the since-deleted video, while colleague Ahmed Rashid Nadir allegedly boasted about harming Israelis.
Both nurses were suspended on February 12, though hospital audits found no evidence of patient harm. Nadir remains under investigation as authorities examine whether the threats reflect broader antisemitism in Australian healthcare.
The case coincides with a 217% increase in reported hate crimes against Jewish Australians since 2022, including:
- Four synagogue firebombings
- Graffiti attacks on 19 Jewish-owned businesses
- Threats against Melbourne's Mount Scopus College
Security analysts attribute the surge to imported Middle East tensions, with 78% of antisemitic incidents occurring in neighborhoods with high Israeli expatriate populations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the nurse's alleged actions as a betrayal of medical ethicsduring a March 14 press conference.
Lebdeh's bail conditions prohibit hospital access pending her March 19 court hearing. Legal experts suggest prosecutors might use Australia's 2018 Foreign Interference Laws given the threats' geopolitical implications.
