Israel wants to sue newspaper over ‘misleading reports’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP).

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, ordered a libel campaign against the American newspaper The New York Times must be submitted.

This follows after the newspaper published an article in which allegations are made of widespread sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners. Nicholas Kristof, a columnist, made allegations in an opinion piece on Monday that “contains one of the most vile and twisted lies against the state of Israel in the modern press”, Netanyahu said.

According to a joint statement by Netanyahu and his minister of foreign affairs, Gideon Saar, it was instructed that a legal process be started against the publication.

In the report, 14 men and women claim that they were sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of this country’s security forces.

Kristof also mentioned a “pattern of widespread sexual violence” against men, women and children allegedly committed by Israeli soldiers, civilians and interrogators of the security agency Shin Bet and especially prison guards. He also mentions in his column that no evidence could be found that Israeli leaders ordered the violence.

Israel rejected the report and argued that Kristof relied on “unverifiable sources linked to Hamas networks”.

In addition, the newspaper is accused that the timing of the article was aimed at undermining an independent Israeli report on Hamas’ sexual violence during the attacks of 7 October 2023. Both reports were released on the same day.

Israeli security forces have arrested thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.