Barry_M

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.

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.

At Golders Green today, The King reaffirmed his support for the Jewish community, following a series of antisemitic attacks. During his time at the Jewish Care centre in North-West London, The King spoke to victims of the recent knife attack that took place in the area on 29th April 2026. His Majesty also met community police force, Shomrim, who were involved in responding to the attacks.

BREAKING: Israel is suing The New York Times over Nicholas Kristof’s shoddy and error-filled opinion column alleging systematic rape and sexual torture of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli guards, soldiers, and settlers. Kristof’s piece — published May 11 — has been widely criticized by independent journalists and denounced by Israeli officials as a modern “blood libel.” Kristoff relied heavily on unverified claims from sources with documented Hamas sympathies and repeating graphic allegations (including much ridiculed claims about dogs trained for sexual abuse) without any rigorous corroboration. Little wonder the NYT ran it in the opinion section and not the news. Still, that does not absolve the paper's editors of a duty to fact check and vet such an inflammatory piece. As an investigative journalist, I’ve spent decades watching how stories get distorted. This one stands out for its timing and sourcing failures: it landed just before the release of a two-year Israel investigation about detailed evidence on Hamas’s own systematic sexual violence on Oct. 7, which the Times largely ignored. Israel’s government isn’t letting it slide. The Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry have now authorized a defamation lawsuit, calling Kristof’s column “one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press.” This is NOT just another media spat. It’s a major escalation: a sovereign democracy taking on one of the most influential legacy newspapers for its reckless, agenda-driven journalism. The New York Times is standing by the piece for now. We’ll see how this plays out in court. But the mere fact that Israel felt compelled to sue speaks volumes about the state of elite media coverage of the Jewish state. I am looking forward to litigation discovery to determine what was behind Kristof's 'reporting'

Today I instructed my legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof. They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers. Under my leadership, Israel will not be silent. We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail.

Today I instructed my legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof. They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers. Under my leadership, Israel will not be silent. We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail.