Israel Sues New York Times Over Article on Alleged Rape of Palestinian Detainees

The Israeli government announced it will sue the New York Times for libel after the newspaper published an opinion piece by columnist Nicholas Kristof based on the accounts of 14 Palestinian victims of sexual violence during detention.

The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement three days after the article's publication. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar directed the lawsuit, calling the piece 'the most distorted and despicable lie ever published against the State of Israel in modern journalism.'

Israel had previously condemned the article as a 'blood libel,' but now moved to legal action. However, a foreign government suing a U.S. media company raises complex legal issues, especially regarding jurisdiction. If the case proceeds in U.S. courts, it may face challenges due to broad constitutional protections for the press.

The New York Times and Kristof defended the piece. Spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander called it 'a deeply reported opinion journalism work,' with accounts cross-verified against witnesses, relatives, lawyers, and references from human rights organizations, surveys, and U.N. testimony.

Kristof's article cited a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which argued that sexual violence had become 'standard operating procedure' in Israel's security system. It also referenced a Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) report that nearly one-third of Palestinian journalists detained by Israel had experienced sexual violence.

In the piece, victim Sami al-Sai, a 46-year-old freelance journalist, recounted being sexually assaulted with a rubber baton and a carrot during his detention in 2024. Another, Mohammad Matar, said he was stripped naked and prodded with sticks while settlers joked about raping him.

The New York Times also faced criticism from both sides because Kristof's article was labeled 'opinion' while articles about alleged sexual abuse of Israelis were placed in 'news' sections. In December 2023, the paper published an article about patterns of sexual abuse during the Hamas attack on October 7, but its accuracy was questioned internally. Fifty journalism professors had asked the paper to investigate the matter, but the Times stood by the article.

Earlier this week, the paper published a news article about a report by an Israeli civilian committee affirming that the sexual abuse on October 7 was 'organized and systematic.'

Reem Alsalem, the U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said Israel has not responded to requests to allow an independent international commission of inquiry to examine allegations of sexual violence against both Israelis and Palestinians.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, who faces an election later this year, said he wants the lawsuit to send a message beyond legal boundaries: 'Under my leadership, Israel will not remain silent. We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law.'