The New York Times (NYT) published a column by Nicholas Kristof on May 11 alleging widespread sexual violence against Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons – including the disgusting claim that dogs were trained to violate detainees. This op-ed effectively overshadowed a long awaited and critical report about systemic sexual violence by Hamas, which was scheduled to come out only one day later. In response, StandWithUs is calling for transparency, accountability, and an independent investigation from the NYT. 

Israel is a democracy with the rule of law and a strong, independent judiciary. Any complaints about the abuse of detainees should be brought to Israeli authorities by the aggrieved party and fully investigated through proper legal channels. If allegations are found to be true, the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

However, analysts have identified major flaws in the NYT’s sourcing and allegations. Kristof’s column relies heavily on a report from an NGO whose leaders have deep ties to Hamas and have been photographed alongside Hamas officials. This is the same Hamas that committed widely documented mass sexual violence. Another key source quoted in the op-ed has a record of glorifying terrorists and celebrating horrific atrocities against Israelis.

The “dog rape” allegation has been widely criticized as a blood libel that risks fueling further violence against Jews around the world.  In his attempt to respond, Kristof further undermined his own credibility by misleading the public. He pointed to medical studies that discussed humans forcing dogs to perform sexual acts on them, not training dogs to sexually abuse others.  

Israel has announced it will sue the New York Times over the column, calling it “one of the most horrifying and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel.”

The timing of Kristof’s op-ed also raises troubling questions. On May 12, the Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes Against Women and Children released a detailed 300-page report-compiled over two years – documenting systematic Hamas sexual violence during the October 7, 2023, massacre. The report includes 430+ testimonies and interviews with survivors, witnesses, and former hostages, and analyzes over 10,000 items of evidence. Yet it was overshadowed by Kristof’s column, despite being far more comprehensive and credible. 

This sequence requires an explanation:

May 11: Kristof column published alleging Israeli sexual violence

May 12: 300-page report on Hamas sexual violence released

May 13: New York Times covers the report on Hamas abuses

The public deserves to know who knew what and when, at the New York Times. When were they aware of the Civil Commission report’s publication date? Israel’s Foreign Ministry reports that the Times was approached with the report months ago. The Times says it “never passed on” the report and wasn’t told about its completion or timing.

Yet the 430+ testimonies from Hamas sexual crime survivors were overshadowed by Kristof’s deeply flawed op-ed, which created a moral equivalence between documented evidence of Hamas atrocities and allegations relying on compromised sources.

As such, StandWithUs demands:

1. Full disclosure about when the New York Times learned about the Civil Commission report’s May 12 publication date.

2. Clarity about what standards govern the use of sources with documented ties to terrorist organizations.

3. An independent investigation into the NYT’s timing and sourcing decisions by a body with no ties to the newspaper. The sequence of events – publishing allegations from Hamas-linked sources one day before a major report documenting Hamas sexual violence – is too significant to be left to internal review alone. Israel’s decision to pursue legal action underscores the gravity of these journalistic failures.

The victims of October 7, 2023, sexual violence deserve better than to have their testimonies buried under an op-ed that creates a false equivalence. So do readers who expect the New York Times to maintain basic editorial standards and professionalism.