Israel intends to file a defamation lawsuit against the “New York Times“ and one of its journalists over an article in which the publication wrote that Israeli soldiers, guards and settlers committed widespread sexual assaults on Palestinian prisoners, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that he had ordered his legal advisers to “consider the strongest legal measures“ against the newspaper and Nicholas Kristof - a veteran journalist, reflected the history of the occupied West Bank.
“They slandered Israeli soldiers and spread false accusations of rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of “Hamas“ and the brave soldiers of Israel,“ Netanyahu said in a statement.“We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and before the law. The truth will prevail,“ he added.“The UN and human rights groups say they have documented the use of sexual violence by both Israel and “Hamas“ since the Palestinian group's attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which led to Israel's war in Gaza.“
Netanyahu did not say where or when the lawsuit would be filed. He threatened to sue the newspaper last August over an article about the famine in Gaza, but did not follow through on its threat.
„The New York Times“ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Netanyahu's threat, Reuters noted.
In a statement yesterday, after criticism from Israeli lawmakers, the newspaper defended Kristoff's story, which included an account by a Palestinian witness who said he was raped by a dog. Israel denies this.
„The accounts of the fourteen men and women interviewed were corroborated by other witnesses, where possible, and by people the victims trusted - including relatives and lawyers,“ said newspaper spokesman Charlie Statlander, adding that the details had been “thoroughly vetted“.
In his story, Kristoff, who writes for the column The newspaper's "Menu" says: "(Our) American taxes subsidize the Israeli security services, so this is sexual violence in which the US is complicit."