Israel is launching a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and journalist Nicholas Kristof. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of the legal action following the publication of an essay detailing allegations of sexual violence.
The lawsuit follows an article describing a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners, including men, women, and children. The report alleged that Israeli soldiers, prison guards, and settlers were involved, with fourteen men and women stating they had been sexually assaulted by security forces or settlers.
The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs called the essay one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press. Netanyahu has instructed his legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against the newspaper and the veteran journalist.
Authorities noted that the article was published on the same day as an independent Israeli report concerning Hamas sexual abuse on October 7, 2023. Despite the government's actions, some media law experts have cast doubt on the viability of the promised lawsuit.