NYT's Kristof: Sexual assault of Palestinian detainees 'routine' in Israeli prisons

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote a comprehensive piece on sexual assault crimes committed against Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons. Drawing on interviews with 14 former detainees, aid workers, lawyers, and families, as well as reports from UN agencies and human rights organizations like Euro-Med, Kristof concluded that sexual assault crimes have become "routine" in Israel.

Journalist's testimony

Palestinian journalist Sami al-Sai told Kristof that when he was detained in 2024, Israeli soldiers took him to a room, stripped him naked, and sexually assaulted him with various instruments. Kristof described al-Sai's experience as "unbearable psychological devastation," writing that "al-Sai said he was tortured and sexually assaulted to make him agree to work as an agent for Israeli intelligence."

No accountability

Noting the lack of deterrent punishment for such crimes in Israel, Kristof wrote that "soldiers detained in connection with sexual assault cases that made headlines in 2024 were released without being charged, despite investigations."

Government responsibility

Kristof wrote that while he found no clear evidence that Israeli government officials ordered sexual assaults, the government's authorization of war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank has created a "ground" for soldiers to perceive such violations as ordinary behavior.

US complicity

Kristof also commented that the US administration's unlimited support for Israel makes it complicit in these crimes. "If President Trump had ensured that Red Cross officials could visit prisons or linked US support to ending sexual assault and torture, Israel might have been forced to stop these practices," he wrote.