World
Why Is Israel Threatening To Sue New York Times? Nicholas Kristof's Palestine Column Sparks Legal Row
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have threatened legal action against The New York Times over an opinion essay by columnist Nicholas Kristof detailing allegations of sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
According to a statement issued by Israel’s foreign ministry, Netanyahu and Sa’ar instructed officials to initiate a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper after publication of Kristof’s piece. The ministry described the article as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.”
Netanyahu also accused the newspaper of defaming Israeli soldiers and “perpetuating a blood libel about rape.”
“We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail,” Netanyahu said in comments quoted by Reuters.
Kristof’s opinion essay, published Monday, detailed allegations from Palestinian men, women and children who claimed they were subjected to rape, sexual assault and abuse by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators. The columnist said he interviewed 14 victims and worked to corroborate their accounts through witnesses, lawyers, aid workers, human rights groups and independent reporting.
The article also noted there was “no evidence that Israeli leaders order rapes” and included denials from Israeli officials.
Legal experts quoted in reports questioned whether such a lawsuit could succeed in the United States. Media law expert David A. Logan said there was “no chance” a US court would allow such a case, citing First Amendment protections. International media lawyer Mark Stephens called the proposed lawsuit “ludicrous.”
NYT Responds To Israel’s Threat
The New York Times strongly defended Kristof’s reporting and rejected Israel’s accusations. “This threat… 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.
She added that any legal claim “would be without merit.” The newspaper said Kristof’s reporting was “extensively fact-checked” and cross-referenced with witness testimony, human rights reports, surveys, news reporting and, in one case, United Nations testimony.
