Israeli Prime Minister Sues New York Times Over Column

Benjamin Netanyahu is suing The New York Times over a column by Nicholas Kristof that described alleged sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees. 7. Letters to the editor discussed the timing and sourcing of the column.

One letter said the column relied on circular sourcing from people embedded in the activist ecosystem of Hamas-governed Gaza. The letter described overlapping NGOs and recycled testimony presented as independent corroboration. Another letter noted that the column's recounting may be anecdotal and compared reactions to the allegations with past responses to documented events.

A third letter said the New York Times has a history of championing monsters and described the column as a blood libel. The letter called for equal objection to abuse of Israeli hostages and any abuse of Palestinians. A fifth letter praised a legal opinion on the suit and said evidence should be used for or against Israel only when appropriate.

A sixth letter compared the column to past events in Germany and called the decision to print it a night of broken standards. Letters also said only certain readers believe what the Times publishes and that the paper writes fictional stories about Israel.