Senator Fatima Payman has ignited a fierce debate regarding the intense backlash against two Sydney nurses filmed making anti-Semitic remarks. While she condemned the nurses’ problematic comments, she’s taken aim at a perceived “double standard” in the way such incidents are treated.
In news that has dominated headlines over the last week, Ahmed Rashid Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, who were nurses at Bankstown Hospital, were captured on camera during a night shift telling Israeli influencer Max Veifer they would “kill” Israeli patients, with one nurse making a throat-slashing gesture.
The video attracted widespread political condemnation and NSW Minister for Health Mark Butler confirmed on Thursday the nurses have now been suspended. Amid a police investigation into the video, both nurses have issued apologies for their comments.
In an Instagram video on Sunday, Payman condemned their remarks and emphasised that no one should ever be denied medical care based on their race, religion, or nationality.
However, she also raised concerns regarding “the elephant in the room” or in this case, the public response to the incident.
“Thankfully the police have confirmed that there’s no proof the nurses have killed any Israeli patients. They made a terrible comment, yet are being treated as if they have committed the absolute worst crime imaginable,” she stated.
“What is the end goal here? What exactly are we trying to achieve? Justice or just public humiliation?”
The senators’ comments then turned to what she described as a “double standard” when it comes to how different forms of hate speech and discrimination are treated in Australia.
“We never see the same level of anger and vitriol when the roles are reversed,” Payman argued, pointing to other incidents of discrimination that have not received similar national attention or political condemnation.
In particular, Payman referenced a 2023 case in which an “anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian” woman was accused of attempting to run over a prominent Sydney imam and questioned why there was no equivalent outcry.
“Where was the national condemnation? Where was the wall-to-wall media coverage?” she asked, noting a “dangerous, deafening silence” in response to such incidents.
The senator also highlighted an incident in Sydney’s inner-west involving the Daily Telegraph. Last week, numerous media reports emerged over claims the publication sent a man wearing a Star of David hat and hidden cameras into a pro-Palestinian restaurant, Cairo Takeaway, seeking to film any confrontation.
An image of the man shared by the restaurant. PTV has chosen to blur his face. (Source: Instagram)
“This is a reputable news outlet pulling a deceptive stunt on a local small business owner with the sole motive of creating division and smearing the reputation of the Muslim and Palestinian community,” she said.
“Where is the full-scale media outrage? Why does this blanket condemnation seem to only go one way?”
While the incident at Cairo has made headlines (this publication included), the stunt hasn’t been condemned by any senior politician.
“If we’re to condemn one, we must condemn the other. Otherwise, we’re not standing for justice. We’re simply picking sides, and that is what fuels division in our society,” Payman emphasised.
As this debate continues to unfold amid persisting communal tensions, Payman’s comments may have just raised some uncomfortable questions about the way we approach social cohesion in this country.
Lead image: Instagram
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