Car in New South Wales, Australia graffitied with antisemitic message. Photo: Screenshot

A coalition of 50 Muslim leaders and organizations has come out in defense of two Australian nurses embroiled in a scandal after they were caught on video vowing to “kill” Israeli patients, accusing critics of engaging in “selective outrage.”

The video, which was posted by Israeli influencer Max Veifer and subsequently went viral online, featured two nurses from Bankstown Hospital in Sydney — Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh — proudly saying that they would harm patients from Israel.

Nadir claimed that he has already sent Israeli patients to “Jahannam” — the Arabic translation for hell — while using a throat-slitting gesture.

Meanwhile, Lebdeh chimed in, saying that if presented with an Israeli patient, “I won’t treat [Israelis], I will kill them.”

The video was met with immediate backlash, and both nurses were suspended and permanently banned from the New South Wales (NSW) health system. 

The coalition of 50 Muslim groups issued a letter on Sunday defending the nurses and slamming their critics for “double standards and moral manipulation.”

“This statement is not about defending inappropriate remarks. It is about pushing back against the double standards and moral manipulation at play while the mass killing of our brothers and sisters in Gaza is met with silence, dismissal, or complicity,” the letter said. 

The letter’s signatories included organizations such as The Muslim Vote and Muslim Votes Matter — groups which claim to advocate for Australia’s Muslim community and plan on backing candidates in upcoming Australian elections.

In the 16 months following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre throughout southern Israel, Australia has struggled with surging antisemitism.

A recent report from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) found that antisemitism in Australia quadrupled to record levels following the outbreak of the Gaza war, with Australian Jews experiencing more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents between October 2023 and September 2024

A litany of homes, vehicles, schools, and synagogues in Australia have been defaced with antisemitic messages, often targeting Israel. In addition, many Jewish institutions have become the targets of arson attacks.

The majority of the antisemitic incidents have taken place in Sydney and Melbourne, the home of some 85 percent of Australia’s Jewish community.

Australian leadership has faced criticism from Jewish leaders over their perceived sluggish response to antisemitic incidents. 

“The epidemic of antisemitism is spreading in Australia almost unchecked,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on X last month. “We expect the Australian government to do more to stop this disease!”

In response to a spike in antisemitism, Australia has passed a new slate of hate crime laws which would, among other measures, imprison those who make terror threats or perform Nazi salutes. 

​​”We want people who are engaged in antisemitic activities to be caught, to be charged, and to be put in the clink,” Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. 

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry praised the new laws. 

“Prison sentences and fines are called for if there is to be any hope of stamping out this hateful behavior,” the organization said.