The New York Times has dismissed a threatened defamation lawsuit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over an article alleging sexual assaults against Palestinian detainees, calling the threat "without merit".
Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar ordered the suit after the Times published Nicholas Kristof's column claiming a pattern of Israeli sexual violence against Palestinians, based on interviews with 14 alleged victims. Israel's foreign ministry accused Kristof of relying on "unverified sources tied to Hamas-linked networks".
The Times responded that the threat is "part of a well-worn political playbook" to undermine independent journalism. The article has sparked furious reactions among Israeli politicians and protests outside the Times' Manhattan office. Legal experts in Israel say any such suit would face significant hurdles under local defamation law.