Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, have threatened to sue the New York Times for defamation over an essay by Nicholas Kristof detailing allegations of sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli detention. The foreign ministry announced the move on Thursday, calling the article 'one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel'.
Netanyahu said the piece defamed Israeli soldiers and perpetuated a 'blood libel about rape', vowing to fight the claims in court. The New York Times defended the reporting, stating that Kristof's interviews with 14 men and women were corroborated with witnesses, family members, and lawyers, and extensively fact-checked.
Media law experts expressed doubt about the viability of the lawsuit. David A Logan, a professor emeritus at Roger Williams School of Law, said there was 'no chance a US court would countenance such a case', citing First Amendment protections. Mark Stephens, an international media law expert, called the threat 'ludicrous', noting that libel cases are about personal hurt, not government grievances.
The article, published on Monday in the Times' opinion section, includes allegations of rape and sexual abuse by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, and settlers. Kristof noted that while many stories were corroborated, some could not be verified due to shame. The Guardian and human rights groups like B'Tselem have also reported similar accounts.
