By Iqbal Jassat
Benji Shulman’s recent tirade framed provocatively under the heading “Zionist Animal Conspiracies and The New York Times”, reflects a nonsensical backlash to revelations of sexual torture of Palestinian prisoners in Israel’s dungeons.
As an ardent supporter of Israel, Shulman’s piece is a mirror image of Zionist rage following the publication of an investigative report in the New York Times (NYT) by Nicholas Kristof detailing shocking accounts of rape and sexual abuse of Palestinian women, men and children in Israeli military detention.
As for the reaction of the Zionist regime, unable to accept the gravity of sexual abuse as a severe violation of human rights, characterized by force causing profound, long-lasting trauma by his military, Benjamin Netanyahu who is charged for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in the Hague, has threatened to sue the NYT.
In response, Danielle Rhoades Ha, NYT spokesperson, has issued a statement dismissing the threat as part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting and stifle journalism that does not fit a specific narrative.
And in defence of Kristof’s integrity, the statement added:
“Nick has covered sexual violence for decades, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s best on-the-ground journalists in documenting and bearing witness to sexual abuse experienced by women and men in war and conflict zones”.
Shulman’s attempt to shoot the messenger is a deflection for it amounts to either ignoring or concealing compelling evidence obtained by Kristof.
Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the NYT, is adamant that Kristof’s interviews with 14 men and women “were corroborated with other witnesses, whenever possible, and with people the victims confided in – that includes family members and lawyers”.
In a statement he insisted that details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, with U.N. testimony.
In addition “Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and fact-checking.”
While Shulman seeks to sensationalise the report’s reference to dogs raping Palestinian prisoners as a Zionist Animal Conspiracy, he overlooks Kristof’s piece is much more comprehensive for it details allegations of sexual abuse, including rape, at the hands of Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators, and sometimes involving dogs.
Commenting on the pushback against Kristof, Mehdi Hasan posted a tweet on X:
As bad-faith pro-Israel pundits continue to attack @NickKristof and accuse him of spreading ‘blood libels’ about rape and even dog rape of Palestinians in Israeli detention, a reminder that a UN report in March found “Eleven (11) allegations by male detainees reported beatings, grabbing, electrocution, or mauling by dogs of their genitals. Eight reported beatings or grabbing of the genitals. One reported witnessing a male detainee being raped by a dog.”
spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/…
In response to NYT readers who
have said the allegations involving dogs abusing detainees is not only impossible but also a “blood libel” against Israel and its citizens, Kristof provided the following explanation:
“This passage provoked the most disgust and disbelief. A Palestinian journalist detained in 2024 told me he was held down, stripped, blindfolded and handcuffed while a dog was brought in and, with encouragement from a handler, mounted and penetrated him. Before he spoke to me, he confided his account to the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, an Israeli human rights organization.
“I thought carefully about whether to include this. In the end I did because he had told his account previously and because what he described has happened before. Other Palestinian prisoners and human rights monitors have cited reports of dogs sexually assaulting prisoners. The Pinochet regime in Chile used a dog to rape political prisoners. Peer-reviewed medical literature documents rectal injuries caused by canine penetration”.
Shulman may adamantly dispute Kristof’s report but to deny allegations of widespread abuse of Palestinian prisoners in Israel’s torturous jails, is to adopt the ostrich approach.
Among western media outlets, The Guardian has also published accounts of sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli custody.
It recently reported that Israeli soldiers and settlers were using sexual assault as a tool to force Palestinians out of their homes in the occupied West Bank.
Allegations of sexual assault of detainees in Israeli detention have also been documented by Israeli and international human rights groups such as B’Tselem and Save the Children, among others.
As for Shulman’s gripe about the use of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor as Kristof’s source, it is incorrect to imply that citing a source “constitutes an endorsement of its leadership’s political views or social media activity”.
Kristof cleared the confusion by explaining that the specific information he cited from Euro-Med was not used in isolation.
“I cited nine organizations, including the United Nations, an Israeli nonprofit called B’Tselem and others, which documented similar abuse. Euro-Med was not involved in helping me find the victims whose accounts I detailed”.
Though Shulman makes a futile attempt to discredit Kristof’s report, the rape of Palestinians is a gruesome reality they face at the hands of Netanyahu’s genocidal military.
Iqbal Jassat
Executive Member
Media Review Network
Johannesburg
South Africa