Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister (FM) Gideon Saar have ordered the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times after the publication of a piece detailing alleged sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees.
A joint statement from the offices of the Israeli PM and FM characterized the report, authored by columnist Nicholas Kristof, as “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press”.
The Israeli government also accused the newspaper of providing backing to the claims.
The investigation by Kristof draws on testimonies from 14 men and women in the West Bank who stated they were sexually assaulted by Israeli security forces or settlers.
The report detailed a “pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence” involving soldiers, settlers, Shin Bet interrogators, and prison guards. The findings include allegations of abuse against men, women, and children.
The New York Times responded by stating that the legal threat lacks merit.
New York Times’s Spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha described the move as part of a “well-worn political playbook” intended to stifle independent journalism and undermine reporting that contradicts a specific narrative. The newspaper maintained that the column was deeply reported.
While the report alleged widespread abuse, Kristof opined that there was no evidence suggesting Israeli leaders had ordered such acts.
United States (US) provides high protections for journalistic expression. To succeed in a libel suit within the US jurisdiction, a plaintiff must prove that the information was purposefully untrue and published with harmful intent.
Several media outlets have previously faced lawsuits from political figures, sometimes resulting in settlements to avoid further legal or administrative repercussions.
