Michael Goodwin: The Left’s turn against Israel is complete with the NY Times’ latest antisemitic smear
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof published a column alleging Israeli soldiers used dogs to sexually assault Palestinian prisoners, claims widely criticized as baseless and rooted in Hamas propaganda. The Israeli government and numerous commentators condemned the article as a defamatory blood libel, with Prime Minister Netanyahu accusing the Times of equating Israeli soldiers with Hamas terrorists. Despite backlash, the Times defended the piece as thoroughly reported opinion journalism, sparking debate over journalistic standards and the left's stance on Israel.
- ▪Nicholas Kristof's column in the New York Times repeated debunked claims that Israeli forces used dogs to rape Palestinian detainees.
- ▪The Israeli government condemned the article and plans to file a defamation lawsuit, calling it a blood libel against Israeli soldiers.
- ▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted documented cases of sexual violence by Hamas during the October 7 attacks to contrast with the unproven allegations against Israel.
- ▪The New York Times defended the column as 'deeply-reported' and 'extensively fact-checked,' despite widespread skepticism about its factual basis.
- ▪Critics, including Matti Friedman and Dan Senor, argue the column reflects a broader trend in journalism where credibility is sacrificed for ideological advocacy.
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Michael Goodwin Opinion Michael Goodwin: The Left’s turn against Israel is complete with the NY Times’ latest antisemitic smear By Michael Goodwin Published May 16, 2026, 10:17 p.m. ET New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote last week that Israelis have used dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. Getty Images for Aurora Humanitarian Initiative For those who missed last week’s gutter-level low for The New York Times, here’s a catch-up — and the big picture meaning. The focus is Nicholas Kristof’s bizarre column last Monday that repeated debunked claims that Israeli dogs had raped Palestinian prisoners. Among the landslide of criticism, the most frequent was that the author had swallowed, hook, line and sinker, garbage from sources widely known for peddling Hamas propaganda.
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