Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, have threatened to sue the New York Times for defamation over an opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof detailing allegations of sexual abuse against Palestinians in Israeli detention. The Israeli foreign ministry described the article as 'one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel.'
Netanyahu accused Kristof of perpetuating a 'blood libel about rape' and attempting to create a false symmetry between Hamas and Israeli soldiers. The New York Times defended the piece, stating that Kristof's reporting was extensively fact-checked and corroborated with witnesses, family members, and lawyers. A spokesperson called the legal threat 'without merit' and part of a political playbook to stifle journalism.
Media law experts have cast doubt on the viability of such a lawsuit. David A Logan, a professor emeritus at Roger Williams School of Law, said there is 'no chance a US court would countenance such a case,' citing First Amendment protections. Mark Stephens, an international media law expert, called the idea 'ludicrous,' noting that libel cases are about personal hurt feelings, not government grievances.
Kristof's article, published on Monday, includes interviews with 14 men and women alleging rape and sexual abuse by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, and settlers. The piece notes that there is no evidence of orders from Israeli leaders to commit rape and includes Israeli officials' rejections of the allegations. Similar accounts have been reported by The Guardian and human rights groups such as B'Tselem and Save the Children.
