Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar instructed legal advisers on Thursday to prepare a defamation suit against the New York Times and columnist Nicholas Kristof.
- The action follows a May 11 opinion column that relayed interviews with 14 Palestinians who alleged sexual abuse by soldiers, prison guards, settlers, and interrogators, including claims of assaults with objects and by a dog.
- The New York Times defended the piece as deeply reported opinion journalism, saying the accounts were corroborated when possible and that details were extensively fact‑checked.
- Netanyahu did not say where or when the case will be filed, and legal analysts say a U.S. lawsuit would face jurisdiction questions and the high 'actual malice' standard under the First Amendment.
- Israeli officials and watchdog groups challenged the column’s sourcing, citing reliance on Euro‑Med Human Rights Monitor and noting Ehud Olmert said his views were misrepresented, while supporters point to UN and NGO reports that document sexual‑abuse claims.