JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities will take The New York Instances to court docket over a bit it printed denouncing alleged widespread sexual abuse in opposition to Palestinian detainees, the workplace of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated.
Netanyahu and International Minister Gideon Saar have ordered the “initiation of a defamation lawsuit in opposition to The New York Instances”, based on a joint assertion issued by their places of work.
It stated the lawsuit was being pursued “following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Instances of some of the hideous and distorted lies ever printed in opposition to the State of Israel within the trendy press, which additionally obtained the backing of the newspaper”.
The investigation, printed on Monday (Might 11) as an opinion piece by columnist Kristof, relies on testimonies gathered within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution from 14 women and men who stated that that they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the safety forces.
The report described “a sample of widespread Israeli sexual violence in opposition to males, ladies and even kids – by troopers, settlers, interrogators within the Shin Wager inner safety company and, above all, jail guards”.
Based on the report, “there isn’t a proof that Israeli leaders order rapes”.
The international ministry rejected the report when it was printed, saying Kristof had primarily based it “on unverified sources tied to Hamas-linked networks”.
It additionally accused the paper of intentionally timing the publication to “undermine” an impartial Israeli report on Hamas sexual violence perpetrated throughout its Oct 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which was printed on the identical day.
Israeli forces have detained 1000’s of Palestinians within the West Financial institution since Hamas’s 2023 assault, which triggered the battle in Gaza.
