Israel has moved to sue the New York Times following the publication of a provocative opinion column alleging systemic sexual abuse of Palestinians by Israelis, including graphic accounts of detainees being assaulted with objects and attacked by dogs. The Israeli Foreign Ministry indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the legal action in response to the article’s serious accusations.
The column, written by Nicholas Kristof, was published shortly before the release of an Israeli civil commission report documenting sexual violence committed by Hamas during a recent massacre. This timing intensified Israeli officials’ criticism, who accused the Times of promoting unverified claims against Israel while credible evidence of Hamas atrocities was emerging. The ministry described the article as one of the most egregious and distorted attacks ever leveled against the state.
Kristof’s piece relied heavily on interviews with a small number of Palestinians and reports from human rights organizations tied to activist groups, many of which were criticized for their lack of independent verification and alleged links to hostile entities. Among those cited was Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, whose founder has been accused of connections to Hamas. NGO Monitor, a watchdog on such organizations, also challenged the credibility of several sources used in the column.
The article contained particularly contentious allegations of detainees being beaten, sexually assaulted with batons and other objects, and in one notable claim, attacked by a trained dog. Critics have dismissed those claims as inflammatory propaganda reminiscent of wartime atrocity rumors rather than fact-based journalism.
Nicholas Kristof’s reporting has faced scrutiny previously, particularly regarding his past promotion of discredited child trafficking stories. He himself has publicly acknowledged mistakes in verifying claims that later proved unfounded, highlighting a pattern where extraordinary allegations have often lacked rigorous corroboration when politically sensitive.