Netanyahu has threatened to take The New York Times to court over an article about the Palestinians
This was reported by The Guardian, citing a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have instructed officials to begin preparing a lawsuit against the American newspaper The New York Times.
The reason was a column by journalist Nicholas Kristof, published in the Opinion section.
The article discussed alleged sexual violence, abuse and ill-treatment of Palestinians in Israeli detention facilities.
Christof cited the testimonies of 14 Palestinians – men and women. They reported violence at the hands of Israeli soldiers, guards and interrogators.
According to the editorial team, some of these accounts were verified through lawyers, human rights activists, witnesses and international organisations.
In Israel, the report was sharply criticised.
The report was described as “one of the most disgusting and distorted lies” directed against the state.
“They slandered Israeli soldiers and promoted bloody allegations of rape, attempting to create a false symmetry between Hamas terrorists and Israeli soldiers,” Netanyahu said.
He added that the Israeli authorities “will fight these lies both in the court of public opinion and in the court of law”.
The New York Times’ response
The New York Times defended the published article.
A spokesperson for the publication, Charlie Stadlander, stated that the editorial team had thoroughly checked the information and cross-checked individual claims against data from human rights organisations, UN testimonies and other independent sources.
“The details were thoroughly checked, and the stories themselves were cross-referenced with journalistic reports, research by human rights activists and eyewitness accounts,” the publication emphasised.
Lawyers and media law experts are sceptical about the prospects of a potential lawsuit.
Professor of media law David Logan stated that US legislation makes such legal proceedings by governments against the media virtually impossible.
At the same time, Christoph’s article provoked a sharp reaction among supporters of Israel. Some politicians and public figures accused the newspaper of irresponsibility and spreading unverified allegations.
What led up to this
This is not the first time the Israeli authorities have threatened The New York Times with legal action.
Last year, Netanyahu also announced a possible lawsuit over the publication’s reports on the humanitarian situation and famine in the Gaza Strip.
Separately, a new investigation reported on the conditions of detention of over 350 Palestinian minors in Israeli prisons. According to this report, most of the children were arrested during night-time raids and have been awaiting trial for months without knowing what they are accused of.
The New York Times is also involved in other legal and political disputes in the US.
US President Donald Trump criticised the newspaper on Truth Social, claiming that its publications allegedly pose a threat to national security.
Meanwhile, The New York Times itself has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Pentagon, challenging new accreditation and access rules for the media.
Furthermore, Trump filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its journalists and the publisher Penguin Random House for at least $15 billion, accusing them of libel and defamation.
A district judge in Florida dismissed the case, calling it “improper and inadmissible”.
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