Sydney nurse arrested for threatening to kill Israelis

A Sydney-area nurse has been charged after allegedly threatening to kill Israeli patients in a viral video that sparked global outrage, the New South Wales Police Force announced Wednesday.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh, a 26-year-old nurse at Bankstown Hospital, was arrested on Tuesday and faces multiple charges, including threatening violence against a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace.

Abu Lebdeh, a resident of Condell Park, was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on March 19. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated that the antisemitic task force had thoroughly investigated the incident, in which Abu Lebdeh allegedly declared she would not treat Israeli patients but instead would "kill them," and wished a harsh death upon Israeli influencer Max Veifer.

“Strike Force Pearl detectives must be commended for acting swiftly under enormous pressure and public expectation,” Webb said. She emphasized that the charges were filed following extensive police work and legal consultation with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. Webb also acknowledged the legal and jurisdictional hurdles detectives faced since launching the investigation on February 12.

The case drew controversy when NSW police requested a full version of the video from Veifer but allegedly failed to provide him with an email address to submit the footage.

The complete video reveals Abu Lebdeh and a male nurse conversing with Veifer on a random video chat platform. Upon learning that Veifer was Israeli, the male nurse told him he would eventually be killed and go to hell.