American Nurse Sends Antisemitic Messages to Israeli-American Woman After Facebook Exchange

Maya, an American woman of Israeli descent living in California, was verbally attacked with antisemitic messages by a certified nurse after posting free items on Facebook Marketplace. After coordinating with a man interested in one of the items, Maya received a message from his wife, Rema Jayyusi, a nurse anesthetist at a California hospital, who wrote, "I don't want anything from stinky Jews." Maya said she was shocked as she had never disclosed her Jewish or Israeli background and was simply trying to be kind by giving away items for free.

The nurse continued to insult Jews, calling them "the most disgusting people in the world" and accusing them of committing genocides worldwide. Maya responded by calling the nurse disgusting and stating she would not behave similarly. She suspects the nurse found out about her Jewish identity through Facebook posts commemorating her cousin Eden Ben-Rubi, who was murdered at the Nova festival at age 23.

Maya noted this was not her first experience with antisemitism in the U.S., recalling an incident where she was spat on after revealing her parents were from Israel. She expressed particular shock that a healthcare professional, who should care for people, would express such hateful views. The incident left her feeling deeply insulted and shaken.