Netanyahu reacts to article by Nicholas Kristof that brings together testimonies about sexual abuse in military detention centers
The Prime Minister of Israel, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday (May 14, 2026) that will process the for defamation due to the publication of the article by which claims that Palestinian women, men and children have been sexually abused in Israeli military detention centers.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs released an official statement on its X profile informing about the process. According to the Kristof’s report brings together testimonies from 14 men and women interviewed in the West Bank occupied by Israel.
The article describes “a pattern of widespread sexual violence by Israel against men, women and even children, perpetrated by soldiers, settlers, interrogators from the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, by prison guards”.
The statement states that the action was initiated “following the publication, by Nicholas Kristof, of one of the most horrific and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which was also endorsed by the newspaper”.
According to the report, the article cites a 2025 UN (United Nations) report that characterizes sexual violence as one of the “standard operating procedures” of Israel and “an important element in the cruel treatment of Palestinians”.
Netanyahu did not specify where or when the process would be opened. Israeli authorities did not detail in which jurisdiction the legal action will be filed nor did they provide information on the expected progress of the case or possible amounts of compensation sought.
In a statement, the spokeswoman for The New York TimesDanielle Rhoades, stated that “any legal action of this type would be baseless”. He further stated that “This threat, similar to another made last year, is part of a well-known political strategy that seeks to weaken independent journalism and stifle reporting that does not fit a specific narrative”.
