Jerusalem, 14 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar instructed that a law suit be brought against The New York Times for publishing false accusations against Israel.
The suit stems from a publication by Times writer Nicholas Kristof that the Prime Minister’s Office called, “one of the most horrifying and distorted lies ever against the State of Israel in modern journalism,” which was also backed by the newspaper.”
In a story titled “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” Kristof wrote about alleged sexual abuse of Palestinians by Israeli security forces, comparing the abuse to the sexual crimes committed against innocent civilians on October 7.
The allegations all came from former security prisoners without any corroboration.
In response to outcry over the story, The New York Times Released a statement saying, “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,” added the Time, “with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys, and in one case, with UN testimony.”