Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed officials to file a lawsuit against the New York Times over a piece alleging the sexual and physical abuse of Palestinian detainees.
Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry previously accused the Times of publishing “one of the worst blood libels” of the modern era in the article, which featured former prisoners claiming security forces had trained dogs to rape inmates.
The article, published on Monday in the paper’s opinion section by Nicholas Kristof, argues that sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli security forces and settlers is widespread, under-reported, and is carried out with impunity.
Among the serious allegations in the piece, Kristoff writes that Palestinian detainees reported guards inserting batons or other objects into their rectums during beatings and interrogations, perpetrating gang rapes and blackmail of a female detainee, and subjecting children to sexual threats and abuse.
The piece also describes allegations from a Gazan journalist that, while restrained and blindfolded, guards encouraged a dog to sexually assault him while others photographed the incident.
Kristof said he spoke with 14 Palestinians alleging sexual assault for the article, alongside corroboration from witnesses, family members, social workers and lawyers where possible.
Announcing the suit, the Prime Minister’s Office said: “Following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times of 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, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.”
It is not clear who the plaintiff in the case will be, as under US law governmental bodies are unable to bring defamation cases.
Assuming the suit will be filed in an American court, the law also places the burden of proof on the plaintiff in defamation cases, meaning Israel would have to prove conclusively that the allegations were false.
The Times, meanwhile, released a statement this week defending its story, saying: “Nicholas Kristof's deeply reported piece of opinion journalism starts with a proposition to readers: 'Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape'.
"He draws together on-the-record accounts and cites several analyses documenting the practice of sexual violence and abuse conducted by various parts of Israel's security forces and settlers.
“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. Details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross- referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, with UN testimony.
"Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and fact-checking.”
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