Israel's NYC consul, citing 'blood libels,' orders staff to cancel New York Times subscriptions
The New York Times has previously released reports fueling accusations of anti-Israel bias, particularly a May opinion piece alleging Israeli use of dogs to rape Palestinian detainees.
Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis has directed his New York staff to halt subscriptions to The New York Times due to what he terms "false blood libels" in its reporting. In a statement, Akunis asserted that the newspaper habitually demonizes and undermines the Jewish State. He alleged that the Times frequently relies on "anonymous" sources, often those of anti-Israel activists and even Hamas terrorists, to bolster its narrative.
Although Akunis did not specify a particular article, it was reported that The New York Times had published a piece the previous day detailing allegations of abuse against Gaza flotilla activists by Israeli authorities. The piece alleged that activists were beaten, shot at with rubber bullets, and verbally abused by Israeli soldiers and guards.
This incident echoes previous accusations leveled at The New York Times for perceived anti-Israel bias, including an opinion piece by Nick Kristof in May which accused Israel of using dogs to rape Palestinian detainees. The Times vehemently denied these claims, labeling the article a "blood libel" and standing by Kristof's work.
Despite rumors of retracting the piece, The New York Times maintained support for Kristof, citing his reputation as a top investigative reporter in combat zones. Israel, however, viewed the newspaper's article as a "blood libel" and considered legal action against The New York Times.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
