The New York Times building (Left) - Leaked CCTV footage showing Palestinians detainees abused at Sde Teiman prison (Right).
‘Israel’ to sue NYT over article exposing rape of Palestinian detainees
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Thursday that the government will initiate a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and columnist Nicholas Kristof.
The action targets an opinion column published on May 11 that described what it characterized as a pattern of widespread sexual violence against Palestinian detainees by ‘Israeli’ soldiers, prison guards, settlers, and interrogators.
The column, titled "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," drew on interviews with former detainees and other sources.
It detailed allegations including rape with objects, genital torture, groping, and extreme claims such as the use of trained combat dogs for sexual assault.
Kristof reported these abuses as normalized in facilities like Sde Teiman, with limited accountability despite complaints filed by human rights organizations.
‘Israeli’ officials rejected the article as a "blood libel".
They claim it falsely equates isolated incidents or unverified claims with systematic policy.
The timing of the New York Times piece, coinciding with the release of an ‘Israeli’ report on Hamas's -alleged- systematic sexual crimes during the events of October 7, has further inflamed tensions.
The ‘Israeli’ government instructed legal advisers to pursue the "harshest legal action" possible.
The New York Times has stood by its reporting, describing the column as deeply sourced.
Kristof, a veteran journalist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, based the piece on accounts from multiple Palestinian men and women, corroborated by lawyers and witnesses.
