Two Australian nurses have been suspended after a video surfaced showing them allegedly threatening to kill Israeli patients and bragging about refusing to treat them.
The incident, which involves a man and a woman employed at a Sydney hospital, has prompted a police investigation, according to officials in New South Wales.
State Health Minister, Ryan Park, confirmed that a “thorough investigation” would be conducted to ensure “no adverse [patient] outcomes” occurred.
However, he noted that a “rapid” review of hospital records revealed nothing unusual.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, condemned the video, calling it “sickening and shameful” after it began circulating online.
His comments follow Australia’s recent introduction of tougher laws against hate crimes, in response to a surge in high-profile antisemitic incidents.
On Wednesday, NSW Police announced they had “identified the individuals involved” in the video.
Health Minister Park said both nurses had been immediately suspended and assured that they would never work in the NSW healthcare system again.
The controversial video was shared on TikTok by Max Veifer, a content creator from Israel, who records his interactions on Chatruletka, an anonymous video chat platform that randomly pairs users.
In the footage reviewed by the BBC, the recording appears to have been made inside a hospital.
A man claiming to be a doctor compliments Mr. Veifer’s eyes before saying, “I’m sorry you’re Israeli.” He then adds that he sends Israelis to Jahannam, an Islamic concept of hell, while making a throat-slitting gesture.
A woman then joins the conversation and warns Mr. Veifer that “one day” his “time will come,” implying that he will die. Later in the video, she states, “I won’t treat them, I will kill them.”
The video has been edited with added emojis and bleeped comments, but authorities have not raised concerns about its authenticity.
Albanese described the footage as “disgusting” and “vile,” stating on X, “These antisemitic comments, driven by hate, have no place in our health system and no place anywhere in Australia. Individuals found to have committed criminal antisemitic acts will face the full force of our laws.”
Minister Park extended an apology to the Jewish community and reassured them that “first class” healthcare in NSW remained available to all. “There is no place in our hospital and health system for this sort of view to ever, ever take place. There is no place for this sort of perspective in our society,” he added.
While staff at the hospital in Bankstown expressed embarrassment and shame over the incident, Park emphasized that it did not diminish the overall good work they continue to do.
Unrelated to the video, a recent wave of antisemitic incidents across Australia has sparked concern among the Jewish community. These incidents include arson and graffiti attacks on homes, cars, and synagogues in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods.
In January, NSW Police discovered a caravan loaded with power gel explosives and a document containing antisemitic sentiments and a list of Jewish targets in Sydney, warning that it had the potential to cause a “mass casualty event.”
Co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, called the video a “warning sign once again to all Australians about the evil that exists in our midst.”
