The trial of Sydney nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, who are accused of making antisemitic comments during an online conversation with an Israeli influencer, has been delayed again.
The pair had been due to face trial on Monday, but the listing was vacated on Thursday morning after the court was told a constitutional issue had been raised.
The matter has now been listed for a mention in Parramatta on November 19.
Nadir, 28, and Abu Lebdeh, 27, have pleaded not guilty to charges alleging they were menacing and offensive when they said they would refuse to treat Israeli patients and threatened violence against them. Abu Lebdeh also denies a charge of threatening violence towards a group.
The latest delay is not the first setback to the proceedings, which centre on an online video chat involving the two former NSW Health workers.
Lawyers for the pair initially argued that recordings of the alleged conversation had been made without their consent and amounted to an unlawful invasion of privacy. The recordings were barred from evidence at first, but the Court of Appeal later overturned that decision, allowing them to be used in the District Court trial.
The alleged threats were made in February while the nurses were working a night shift at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in south-west Sydney.
Israeli national Max Ilinsky, who is popularly known as Max Veifer, recorded his conversation with the nurses on ChatRoulette in 2025. The platform, known as Chatruletka in Israel, randomly connects people around the world for conversations.
In footage of the exchange, Nadir allegedly referred to Israeli patients who had attended the hospital and said he sent them to “hell”. He has previously apologised through his lawyer, describing his comments as a “big mistake”.
