Saturday, August 9, 2025 - Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has accused The New York Times of defaming Israel in its coverage of hunger in Gaza and is considering a lawsuit against the paper
“The New York Times should be sued,” Netanyahu told Fox News
on Thursday. “I am actually looking into whether a country can sue the New York
Times … I think it’s such clear defamation.”
His comments target a July 24 Times story on Gaza’s food
crisis that featured a prominent front-page photo of 18-month-old Mohammed
Zakaria al-Mutawaq, described as emaciated and malnourished. The article quoted
the boy’s mother saying he had been “born healthy.
Subsequent reporting revealed the child also had cerebral
palsy and complications from a genetic disorder — details not included in the
original story or caption. Critics accused the paper of misleading readers into
believing his condition was caused solely by Israeli policy.
On July 30, the Times appended an editor’s note clarifying
his medical history and removing the mother’s statement. Netanyahu blasted the
correction as “the size of a postage stamp” and said it failed to repair the
damage.
“Israel is presented as though we are applying a campaign of
starvation in Gaza. What a boldfaced lie,” Netanyahu said. “There is no policy
of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza.”
He claimed Israel has allowed humanitarian aid throughout the
war, alleging shortages are caused by Hamas diverting supplies.
The Times defended its work, saying the update reflected new
facts learned after publication and that its core reporting on Gaza’s
humanitarian crisis remains accurate.
“Children in Gaza are malnourished and starving, as New York
Times reporters and others have documented,” a spokesperson said, adding that
Netanyahu’s criticism was part of “an increasingly common playbook” to pressure
independent media.
The dispute comes amid ongoing reports from the UN and relief
agencies warning of worsening hunger, shortages of clean water, and medicine in
Gaza. Israel blames Hamas, while critics cite Israeli restrictions and military
operations.
Pro-Israel groups and some U.S. lawmakers have sided with
Netanyahu, accusing the Times of bias. Supporters of the paper argue that such
attacks are meant to intimidate journalists and discourage critical coverage.
If Netanyahu pursues legal action, it would echo Ariel
Sharon’s 1983 libel suit against Time magazine over its reporting on the 1982
Sabra and Shatila massacre. That case ended without damages after a jury found
the statement false but not made with “actual malice.”
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