NSW health workers stood down after threatening to kill Israeli patients

An appalling TikTok video of two NSW health workers hurling anti-Semitic statements has been condemned by NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Health Minister Ryan Park – announcing that the pair have been stood down.

Merely a day after NSW Premier Chris Minns announced a parliamentary statement on tackling anti-Semitism across the state, two NSW health nurses have been caught on video spewing anti-Semitic vitriol – including death threats towards Jewish patients.

As was first reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, and then subsequently by mainstream media outlets, a conversation between Israeli content creator Max Veifer – which he later shared to his Instagram – and a man and women wearing NSW health attire, saw the latter launched a tirade of comments that NSW Health Minister Ryan Park could only label as “dehumanising and unacceptable”.

Some of the comments included what can only be characterised as death threats toward Israeli patients, with the women claiming: “I won’t treat them, I will kill them.”

The man then followed up by stating that he sends “Israelis to Jahannam” while making a ‘throat-slitting’ gesture.

“You have no idea how many Israeli dog[s] came to this hospital and I sent them to Jahannam,” the man said.

‘Jahannam’ translates to ‘hell’ in Arabic.

“It’s Palestine’s country, not your country, you piece of shit,” the woman said.

The footage took place in what appears to be a hospital setting, featuring two workers who have been confirmed to have worked at Bankstown Hospital. In a statement, Park said that the video, which has been widely circulated, made him feel “sick” to his stomach.

Speaking on 2GB this morning (12 February), Minns announced that the workers had been stood down – noting that there is still a process to be followed in relation to a full employment termination.

“Both of them have been immediately stood down pending a full investigation,” Minns said.

“There’s a process to be followed, and it will take place as soon as possible.”

“We need to send a clear and unambiguous message that if you go to an emergency department, if you’re on a ward anywhere in NSW, you will be treated by people who are highly trained and highly skilled that care about you.”

On 11 February, Minns addressed Parliament, stating that this “campaign of hatred” targeted towards the Jewish community “will fail”.

“We will introduce new and stronger laws that target this kind of anti-Semitism and racial hatred. These laws, we hope, will send the clearest possible message,” he said.

These changes Minns announced included:

• A new offence targeting the display of Nazi symbols on or near a synagogue.

• An act to create an aggravated offence for graffiti on a place of worship.

• Laws designed to stop people from harassing other people, or intimidating other people from recognising their religion and worshipping at religious buildings.

“In New South Wales – we will never harbour the poison of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is particularly sinister, shape-shifting in form, and bigotry is widespread,” Minns said.

“So often – what has begun as hate speech against the Jewish people has led to violence, it has led to persecution, it’s led to murder, and it’s led to genocide.

“That is the reason we’re here.

“As a state – as a community – as a Parliament – as friends and neighbours – so that we can root out this kind of behaviour – and end this shameful chapter of the history of the state.”