THE Israeli government has said it is taking the extraordinary step of suing The New York Times after the newspaper published an article detailing rape allegations by Palestinian detainees against Israeli forces.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office made the announcement three days after the release of the article by longtime New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, which was based on the accounts of 14 male and female Palestinian victims.
The report added to a growing body of evidence of systematic Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees, whose numbers have soared since October 7, 2023. That evidence has been documented by rights groups and media, including Al Jazeera.
Israel had previously condemned The New York Times report as “blood libel”, but went further on Thursday, saying Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar “have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times”.
It further called the report “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”.
For its part, The New York Times and Kristoff have stood by the article, with a spokesperson on Wednesday calling the report a “deeply reported piece of opinion journalism”.
“The accounts of the 14 men and women he interviewed were corroborated with other witnesses, whenever possible, and with people the victims confided in – that includes family members and lawyers,” the spokesperson, Charlie Stadtlander, said in a statement on X.
“Details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, the UN testimony,” it said. “Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and fact-checking.”
The newspaper did not immediately respond to the Israeli government’s announcement on Thursday of its intention to sue.
Further details of the Israeli government’s planned lawsuit were not immediately available. While a foreign government can technically sue a US media company, the prospect raises several legal questions, particularly over jurisdiction.
If the suit is brought in a US court, it is likely to face a steep legal climb. US media has broad constitutional protections, particularly when challenged by government authorities.
Last year, Netanyahu said he was “looking at whether a country can sue The New York Times” newspaper last year, following a report on starvation in Gaza amid Israel’s genocide.
The Israeli prime minister, who faces elections later this year, on Thursday said he wanted the lawsuit to send a message beyond its legal scope.
“Under my leadership, Israel will not be silent,” he said in a post on X. “We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law.”