Israel to Sue New York Times over Kristof Column on Alleged Palestinian Rapes

The Israeli government plans to file a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times over a column by Nicholas Kristof, the Israel Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

Kristof's piece, headlined "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," includes accounts from men and women who allege brutal sexual abuse by Israel's prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators. Critics called the article propaganda and questioned its reporting, particularly a claim that dogs were trained to sexually assault Palestinians.

"Following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times of one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which also received the backing of the newspaper, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times," the ministry wrote.

The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. But a spokesman issued a statement Wednesday evening defending the story.

"Nicholas Kristof’s deeply reported piece of opinion journalism starts with a proposition to readers: ‘Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.’ He draws together on-the-record accounts and cites several analyses documenting the practice of sexual violence and abuse conducted by various parts of Israel’s security forces and settlers," Charlie Stadtlander wrote.

Stadtlander added that the accounts of the 14 men and women interviewed were corroborated with other witnesses where possible, as well as family members and lawyers the victims confided in. Details were extensively fact-checked against news reports, independent research from human rights groups, surveys and one U.N. testimony. Independent experts were consulted during reporting and fact-checking.

The Times has issued multiple statements supporting the piece.