Hen Mazzig on the N.Y. Times' Two Israel Stories

Key Points:

• The New York Times published two major Israel-related pieces on May 11, 2026: an investigation alleging Israel spent over $1 million influencing Eurovision voting, and an opinion column by Nicholas Kristof accusing Israeli forces of systematic sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners.
• The Eurovision investigation ultimately found no rule violations or vote manipulation, leading to a softened headline; critics noted that many countries engage in similar promotional campaigns without scrutiny.
• Kristof's opinion piece, based largely on testimonies from a Hamas-affiliated group, made controversial claims including the training of dogs to rape detainees, which drew strong condemnation from Israeli officials and accusations of spreading blood libels.
• The Times stood by Kristof's column despite calls for retraction and criticism from Jewish leaders, while simultaneously not covering a detailed 300-page report documenting Hamas's sexual violence from October 7, 2025.
• Israeli author and activist Hen Mazzig criticized the Times for biased coverage and called for the newspaper to conduct a serious reckoning to restore credibility with its Jewish readership.