Netanyahu says Israel will sue The New York Times

Politics Netanyahu says Israel will sue The New York Times By Graham Kates Graham Kates Reporter Graham Kates is an investigative reporter covering criminal justice, privacy issues and information security for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at KatesG@cbsnews.com or grahamkates@protonmail.com Read Full Bio Graham Kates May 14, 2026 / 4:36 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government plans to file a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times in response to an opinion column alleging widespread sexual abuse targeting Palestinian prisoners.The column, by journalist Nicholas Kristof, cites interviews with 14 men and women "who said they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces," but notes Kristoff was unable to corroborate some accounts of abuse. Israeli officials condemned the Times for publishing the report. Netanyahu's office called it "one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel." In a statement Thursday, the office said Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar "have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times."Netanyahu posted on X that his legal advisers will "consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof."The Times on Wednesday night defended Kristof's piece, calling it a "deeply reported piece of opinion journalism.""The accounts of the 14 men and women he interviewed were corroborated with other witnesses, whenever possible, and with people the victims confided in — that includes family members and lawyers," said Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the Times. "Details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, with U.N. testimony. Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and f...