Israel threatened to take legal action against the news outlet The New York Times (NYT) for its report on the alleged sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar released a joint statement through their offices, stating that they have ordered the “initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times”.
The offices claimed that the essay by famous opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof was “one of 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.”
Kristof interviewed around 14 men and women from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, who said they were sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces.
According to the piece, there was “a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children- by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet security agency and above all, prison guards”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Kristof of using “unverified sources tied to Hamas-linked networks”.
It also said that the news outlet intentionally published the article on the same day as an independent Israeli report on Hamas’ alleged sexual assaults on October 7, 2023.
The New York Times reacted to the order, stating that any legal claim over the “deeply reported opinion column” lacked merit.
Spokesperson for NYT Danielle Rhoades Ha said in a statement, “This threat, similar to one made last year, is part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting and stifle journalism that does not fit a specific narrative.”
The United States give strong protection to journalistic expression under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Libel suits such as these require proof that the information was untrue and with harmful intent. However, that has not stopped U.S President Donald Trump and his supporters from filing defamation cases against publications, with some reaching settlements to avoid serious consequences from his administration.
