Two nurses will lose their jobs over anti-Semitic comments in a social media video that has sparked outrage and triggered a police investigation.
The video, posted by an Israeli influencer with more than 100,000 followers on TikTok, shows him talking to a man in a NSW Health uniform via a website that randomly pairs people for video chats.
The man and a woman who then appears alongside him say they would kill rather than treat Israeli people.
Jewish groups have condemned the comments and the NSW government launched an investigation to identify the pair, whose comments they reported to police.
In the video, the man claims he is a doctor at a hospital and compliments the Israeli before saying he is “so upset” to hear where he is from.
“Eventually you’re going to get killed and you’re going to go to (hell),” the uniformed man says.
“It’s Palestine’s country, not your country,” a woman who then enters the frame adds.
“One day your time will come … you will die the most disgusting death,” she says.
“How are you doctors?” the Israeli man asks, questioning what would happen if someone from his country attends the hospital.
“I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them,” the woman responds.
“You have no idea how many Israeli … came to this hospital and … I send them to (hell),” the man adds.
The Israeli man encourages viewers to share the video, which contains visible edits, saying he has found anti-Semites in other countries and got them fired.
The video spurred an urgent investigation on Wednesday and the pair was quickly identified after local health district executives were notified.
“These people will never work in NSW hospitals again,” NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said, labelling the comments vile, dehumanising and unacceptable.
“There is no place, 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 said.
With her voice shaking, NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce said never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d be talking about her staff saying “such horrendous things about our community”.
The investigation comes as flagged legislation in response to anti-Semitic incidents face delays.
New offences aimed at halting the incitement of religious hatred won’t be introduced in the state parliament’s first sitting week as MPs chart a narrow course through freedom-of-speech protections.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the video captured deplorable rhetoric.
“That anyone feels comfortable spewing this hatred while wearing NSW branded scrubs is sickening,” he said.
“No healthcare worker who holds these views should be registered in Australia,” he added.
https://thewest.com.au/politics/nurses-subject-to-police-probe-over-anti-semitic-video-c-17694304
