NYT column alleging dog rape of Palestinian prisoners triggers Israeli and Jewish backlash

Columnist Nicholas Kristof published a New York Times piece that recounts an alleged incident in which an Israeli prison guard released a dog that penetrated a Palestinian detainee, claiming it was used as a method of sexual assault. The article cites interviews with former detainees and references medical reports of rare dog‑related injuries.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced the column as a modern "blood libel" and accused the Times of advancing a Hamas‑driven narrative. Several Jewish‑affiliated watchdog groups echoed the ministry’s criticism, while other commentators and a canine‑behavior expert questioned the plausibility of training a dog to commit rape. Human‑rights organisations continue to allege sexual abuse in Israeli detention facilities, and the New York Times has defended the reporting as rigorously sourced.