Former Nurses Face Charges Over Threats Against Israeli Patients

Ahmed Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, both former nurses at Bankstown Hospital, have been charged following a disturbing February 2025 video call with Israeli content creator Max Veifer on the chat platform Chatruletka.

In the video, the pair allegedly stated they refused to treat Israeli patients and made threats to kill them.

Veifer posted the footage to social media. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to one charge of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. Abu Lebdeh additionally denied a charge of threatening violence to a group.

Legal Battle Over Video Evidence

In court on Thursday, Nadir's lawyer Greg James KC argued the video was illegally obtained. He contended that Veifer recorded a private conversation without consent, violating a New South Wales law on surveillance devices.

James stated that Veifer's practice of recording Chatruletka sessions for his own protection did not qualify under lawful exceptions. He described Veifer as conducting "vigilante activity," intentionally seeking opposing views to record and upload for followers.

Prosecution's Counterargument

Prosecutor Justin Hannebery KC countered that not all private conversations have equal privacy expectations, especially between strangers on a random chat platform.

He also argued that applying NSW surveillance law to a microphone used in another country to connect to a chat website "stretched the law's application."

What's at Stake

The court will decide on June 23 whether the video can be admitted as evidence. If excluded, Nadir's lawyer Zemarai Khatiz said it would be "a devastating blow to the prosecution's case."