Israel on Thursday threatened to file a lawsuit against The New York Times over a report alleging widespread sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees.
According to a joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the Israeli government has ordered the “initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times”.
The statement described the article by columnist Nicholas Kristof as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which also received the backing of the newspaper”.
Kristof’s investigation was based on testimonies collected in the Israeli-occupied West Bank from 14 Palestinians who claimed they were sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers and security personnel.
The report highlighted what it called “a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children — by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, prison guards”.
In response, The New York Times rejected Israel’s accusations, saying any legal action against the “deeply reported opinion column” would have no merit.
“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,” spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said.
Kristof noted in his article that there was no evidence Israeli leaders had ordered rape or sexual violence.
Meanwhile, Israel’s foreign ministry alleged that the report relied “on unverified sources tied to Hamas-linked networks”.
The ministry also accused the newspaper of intentionally publishing the piece on the same day as an independent Israeli report on alleged sexual violence committed by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack, claiming the timing was aimed at undermining it.
Since Hamas’s 2023 attack, Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The United States maintains strong legal protections for press freedom, making libel cases difficult to prove unless false information was knowingly published with harmful intent.
However, US President Donald Trump and several of his allies have pursued lawsuits against media organisations in recent years, with some outlets opting for settlements to avoid potential political repercussions.
