Leading US Jewish group condemns NY Times column alleging sexual abuse of Palestinians

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, a leading US Jewish group, condemns a widely-criticized New York Times column alleging systematic sexual abuse of Palestinian inmates.

The statement by the group’s chair, Betsy Berns Korn, and CEO, William C. Daroff, says the column “relies on claims that are weakly sourced, lacking in specificity, contested and unsupported by evidence.”

“The column elevates anonymous testimony, much of it secondhand, from advocacy groups known for their bias and disputed credibility, including histories of fabrication, and allegations that remain unverified,” the statement says. “A fundamental difference separates substantiated wrongdoing from allegations that are weakly sourced, contested, or unproven. In democratic societies, that distinction matters. It separates responsible reporting from distortion.”

The statement also points out that former prime minister Ehud Olmert said the column misrepresented a statement he made to the reporter, Nicholas Kristoff, and calls the column’s timing, coming out shortly before a major report on Hamas raping Israelis, “questionable at best.”

“As evidence of Hamas’s systematic and grotesque atrocities came into public view, the Kristof column instead propagates anonymous claims that remain disputed and unverified, including unprecedented and highly improbable allegations of sadism that draw attention away from the Commission’s report and suggest a false moral equivalency,” the statement says, warning that the claims could foment violence against Jews.

“For centuries, blood libels portrayed Jews as uniquely sadistic and inhuman. When modern narratives echo those themes, they reinforce patterns that have historically fueled hatred and violence against Jews.

Spreading unproven and inflammatory claims about Jews carries real risk,” the statement says.