Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday ordered a defamation lawsuit to be filed against the New York Times after a journalist published an opinion piece alleging Palestinian prisoners were raped and sexually abused by Israeli prison guards and soldiers.
The opinion article, titled “The silence that meets the rape of Palestinians,” was published by columnist Nicholas Kristof on May 11 and detailed interviews with Palestinians who alleged there existed “a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children.”
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“Today I instructed my legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers.”
In his article, Kristof said he had spoken with 14 men and women who alleged they had been victims of sexual violence at the hands of Israeli settlers or security forces.
The New York Times responded to the threat, calling the move “part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting and stifle journalism.”
“The Israeli Prime Minister has threatened to file a libel lawsuit against The New York Times regarding Nicholas Kristof’s deeply reported opinion column on sexual abuse by Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers, and interrogators,” the outlet’s vice president of communications Danielle Rhoades Ha said in a statement. “This threat, similar to one made last year, is part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting and stifle journalism that does not fit a specific narrative. Any such legal claim would be without merit.”
The statement continued, highlighting the research Krisof did and his sourcing with the alleged victims themselves.
“The accounts of the men and women he interviewed were corroborated with witnesses, whenever possible, and with people the victims confided in, including family members and lawyers. Details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, with U.N. testimony. Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and fact-checking,” the statement concluded.
The columnist reported that there is “no evidence that Israeli leaders order rapes,” but added that a United Nations report found that the Jewish State has made sexual violence and abuse “standard operating procedures” and “a major element in the ill treatment of Palestinians.” He added that the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, which has a history of criticisms against Israel, said that Israel uses “systemic sexual violence” that is widely implemented as part of state policy.
The individuals interviewed for Kristof’s article include Palestinian journalists, farmers, and civilians who were imprisoned by Israeli authorities. He detailed the alleged victims’ accounts, adding that many stories were corroborated by witnesses and those the victims had confided in.
The accounts detail alleged rape with various objects, including wands, metal detectors, rubber batons, and even carrots.
Netanyahu has called the accusations “baseless” and Israel’s Ministry of National Security “categorically rejects the allegations.” The security agency said it has investigated the complaints, but did not mention whether any prison employee had been fired or prosecuted based on the allegations.
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Kristof’s article also alleges that because American tax dollars help finance Israeli security forces, it is “complicit” in the alleged sexual violence.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department for comment.
