A nurse sacked over her alleged inflammatory rhetoric is no longer accused of threatening to kill Israeli patients after prosecutors dropped a charge.
Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27, and Ahmad Rashad Nadir, 28, sparked national condemnation when they were recorded saying they would refuse to treat Israelis and appearing to threaten violence towards them.
The pair were working a night shift at southwest Sydney‘s Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital at the time of the alleged threats, made through an online video chat platform in February.
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Charges were laid after footage was shared online by another party to the Chatruletka meet-up, Israeli influencer Max Veifer.
Abu Lebdeh was charged with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend.
But the allegation that she threatened to kill Israeli patients was withdrawn by prosecutors today in Downing Centre Local Court.
Abu Lebdeh is yet to enter pleas to the remaining two charges, which will proceed with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
She is on bail under strict conditions, barring her from using social media or leaving the country.
Her former colleague Nadir was hospitalised after the video emerged before being charged in March with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence and possession of a prohibited drug.
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He pleaded not guilty to possessing morphine, which he will fight at a hearing at Bankstown Local Court in October.
Nadir is yet to enter pleas to the former charge, which will proceed with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Nadir previously apologised through his lawyer, Zemarai Khatiz, for the comments he made in the video.
Outside court, Zhatiz said he would not be negotiating with the Commonwealth DPP and the matter would take “a long time” to resolve.
Both nurses remain on bail and were excused from attending court today.
They have been prohibited from working as nurses nationwide by Australia’s health practitioner watchdog, and their registrations have been suspended in NSW.
Their comments attracted widespread criticism – including from the prime minister and NSW premier – amid community concerns at the time about antisemitic acts in Sydney and Melbourne.
Many of the highest-profile incidents in Sydney have since been revealed to have been concocted by criminal networks with no clear ideological motivations.
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