JERUSALEM, May 14 - Israel intends to file a defamation suit against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof following an opinion piece that accused Israeli soldiers, prison guards and settlers of engaging in widespread sexual violence against Palestinian detainees. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed legal advisers "to consider the harshest legal action" against the newspaper and the journalist who reported the story from the occupied West Bank.
In a written statement, Netanyahu criticized the article for what he described as an attempt to equate Israel’s forces with the perpetrators of mass atrocities. "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," he said. "We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail," the statement added.
The UN and various rights organizations have reported instances of sexual violence by both Israeli personnel and by Hamas since the militant group’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, which precipitated Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The prime minister did not specify where or when any lawsuit would be lodged.
Netanyahu had previously signaled a potential legal challenge to The New York Times last August over a separate article about starvation in Gaza, but that threat did not result in formal litigation.
The New York Times did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the prime minister’s announcement. The paper issued a statement on Wednesday defending Kristof’s article, which drew criticism from Israeli lawmakers. The opinion piece includes testimony from a Palestinian who said he was raped by a dog; Israel has rejected that account.
"The accounts of the 14 men and women [Kristof] interviewed were corroborated with other witnesses, when possible, and with people the victims confided in - that includes family members and lawyers," newspaper spokesman Charlie Stadtlander wrote, adding that "details were extensively fact-checked".
In the opinion essay, Kristof wrote: "(Our) American tax dollars subsidize the Israeli security establishment, so this is sexual violence in which the United States is complicit." The article drew criticism from Israeli officials who say it defames the country’s soldiers and mischaracterizes events.
The dispute adds a legal and reputational dimension to an ongoing debate over reported abuses during the conflict, and it reflects the tensions between Israeli authorities and international media coverage. At this stage, specific legal filings and the timetable for any suit have not been disclosed.
Clear summary
Israel has announced plans to sue The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof for defamation over an article alleging sexual violence by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinian prisoners. Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed advisers to consider the "harshest legal action," calling the piece a "blood libel." The Times defended its reporting, saying interviews were corroborated and fact-checked. Netanyahu did not indicate where or when legal action would be taken, and a previous threatened lawsuit over a different article last August was not filed.