Israeli activist who filmed Bankstown nurses to testify at Sydney trial

The Israeli content creator who filmed and published the viral video at the centre of the case against two former Bankstown Hospital nurses says he will travel to Australia this month to testify in person at their trial.

Max Veifer, whose legal name is Max Ilinski, said in a video posted to social media on Saturday night that he had been called as a witness for the prosecution and would be in Australia for almost a week. He said Australian authorities were covering his flights, accommodation, meals, police transport and police presence at the court.

“At the end of this month, I’m going to Australia, not for a vacation,” he said. “I’m flying across the world to walk into an Australian courtroom and testify as a witness for the prosecution in the case we all know.”

Veifer said he remained concerned for his personal safety, saying he had received many threats over the past year because of his public work. “People know my face. People know my name. And after everything that has happened recently in Australia, and with antisemitism rising around the world and in Australia, I’m not taking any chances,” he said.

He appealed to the Australian Jewish community, community security groups and licensed security companies to help arrange additional protection for periods not covered by the official security arrangements, stressing that any such arrangements “must be professional”, “must be licensed” and “must be coordinated with the New South Wales Police”.