The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times newspaper, following the publication of an article by columnist Nicholas Kristof, reports Anadolu.

In a statement shared on the American social platform X, the Israeli ministry described the article as “one of the most disgusting and twisted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press”.

The ministry also accused the newspaper of supporting the article and said legal action would be taken against The New York Times.

The announcement came after Kristof published an article titled “The Silence Accompanying Rape Against Palestinians,” which alleged that Palestinian prisoners have faced widespread sexual violence by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers and investigators.

Kristof said that he interviewed 14 Palestinian men and women who spoke of sexual abuse and mistreatment during detention or attacks by Israeli forces and settlers.

The columnist wrote that “there is no evidence that Israeli leaders order rape,” but argued that Israeli authorities have created “a security apparatus where sexual violence has become one of the standard operating procedures” in Israel, citing a UN report.

Article included evidence of rape with objects, beatings in intimate areas, threats of sexual violence and humiliation during detention.

Kristof also referred to reports by organizations such as Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Save the Children, B’Tselem and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which document allegations of sexual abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees.

He also cited a UN report released last year that alleges Israel for “systematic sexualized torture” against Palestinians.

The New York Times and Kristof have not publicly responded to the notice of the lawsuit by the time of publication.

Source: prizrenpost