Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) slammed the New York Times after it published a piece claiming Israeli military officials raped Palestinian prisoners.
Columnist Nick Kristof published a piece making a series of questionable claims about how Israeli treat Palestinian prisoners. The article faced an enormous backlash from many on social media.
In a post on X, Gottheimer accused Kristof of amplifying “proven Hamas-affiliated sources and their propaganda while the NYT continues to gloss over the systematic sexual violence, rape, and mutilation Hamas committed on October 7, now fully documented in the new Civil Commission report.”
“We should expect better from the paper of record, particularly with allegations as serious as these,” the lawmaker continued. “It’s almost as if the NYT is on Hamas’ payroll.”
WTF @nytimes! Nick Kristof amplifies proven Hamas-affiliated sources and their propaganda, while the NYT continues to gloss over the systematic sexual violence, rape, and mutilation Hamas committed on October 7, now fully documented in the new Civil Commission report. We should…
— Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) May 13, 2026
In the piece, Kristoff discusses Palestinians who said that Israeli soldiers, prison guards, settlers, and interrogators were part of a broader system of sexual assault of prisoners. However, he acknowledges that “there is no evidence that Israeli leaders order rapes.”
The article details numerous allegations coming from various sources about how Israeli personnel allegedly assaulted inmates. In one instance, an individual claimed Israelis trained dogs to sexually assault prisoners.
The New York Times has published testimony that alleges that dogs are being trained to rape Palestinian prisoners. So I guess all dogs don’t go to heaven.
— Mike Recine (@mikerecine) May 13, 2026
Kristof goes much further than claiming sexual assault happens in Israeli prisons, as it does in other countries. He pushes the narrative that sexual violence is rampant among Israeli soldiers and prison officials, claiming that it is Israel’s “standard operating procedures,” which is why he’s still getting pilloried on social media.
The New York Times reports that Israeli forces have used dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. The New York Times.
— Cameron Kasky (@camkasky) May 11, 2026
Do not let the establishment fool you into thinking the problem here is Netanyahu. This violence is a societal problem. pic.twitter.com/ulyUmHkA5I
It’s one thing to cover human rights abuses — regardless of the country it’s happening in. But when people like Kristof exaggerate or rely on faulty sources to make a political point, they can’t expect to be taken seriously.