UN expert condemns Israeli response to sexual abuse allegations
AI Summary
A UN expert has criticized the Israeli government's response to allegations of sexual abuse against Palestinians, particularly in Israeli prisons. Francesca Albanese described the Israeli foreign ministry's remarks as an attempt to dismiss serious allegations of abuse and stated that the reality extends beyond the current allegations.
UN expert condemns Israeli response to sexual abuse allegations Francesca Albanese criticised Israel’s foreign ministry after it described a New York Times article documenting alleged sexual abuse against Palestinians in Israeli prisons as “hideous and distorted lies” and announced plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper. In a series of posts on X, Albanese described the article as “accurate but barely scratching the surface” and said it was “triggering hysteria” within the Israeli government, "not because of the facts, but because of the audience”. She added, “apartheid Israel fears NYT readers will finally see and no longer ignore.” In a thread of 22 posts, Albanese referred to reports and investigations documenting alleged sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli detention, saying the material focused mainly on abuses documented since October 2023, while arguing that “the reality is far older”. “Sexual violence against Palestinians has been documented since the very foundation of the Israeli state, but this is nothing the NYT spoke about – so far," she wrote. 🧵on 'NYT rift' https://t.co/NsmWjMYHKL May 15, 2026