New York Times Defends Kristof Column, Denies Retraction Rumors Over 14 Abuse Accounts
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 13
New York Times Defends Kristof Column, Denies Retraction Rumors Over 14 Abuse Accounts
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 13
The New York Times said there was "no truth" to reports it was considering retracting Nicholas Kristof’s opinion piece alleging sexual abuse of Palestinians by Israeli prison guards, soldiers and others.
Spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said Kristof traveled to the region, gathered victims’ firsthand accounts and supported the column with independent studies, calling the two-time Pulitzer winner one of the paper’s best field reporters.
The defense followed backlash over Kristof’s article, which cited 14 men and women and included graphic claims of rape, beatings and abuse; critics argued some sources had ties to Hamas or anti-Israel activism.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the piece as "one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press," saying it inverted the reality of Hamas’s Oct. 7 sexual crimes against Israelis.
Did a New York Times column ignite a modern 'blood libel' in the Israel-Palestine conflict?
Why is a star journalist’s reputation defended over the credibility of his controversial sources?