Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith has publicly defended New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof after he came under intense criticism over his recent opinion piece detailing allegations of sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli military personnel.
Jemima reshared a post by journalist Sangita Myska criticizing the backlash against Kristof and condemned what she described as escalating intimidation tactics against journalists covering Palestine.
“The bullying is out of control. People need to stand up to it finally and call it out for what it is,” Jemima wrote.
The bullying is out of control. People need to stand up to it finally and call it out for what it is. https://t.co/Hf0VsoYNlU
— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) May 13, 2026
The controversy erupted following Kristof’s May 11 opinion article in The New York Times titled The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians.
In the piece, Kristof cited testimonies from Palestinians who alleged sexual abuse by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers, and security officials. The article also referenced findings from United Nations reports and multiple human rights organizations that documented allegations of systematic sexual violence and abuse inside Israeli detention facilities.
The column triggered fierce criticism from Israeli officials, pro-Israel commentators, and several Jewish organizations, some of whom accused Kristof of promoting “blood libel” and relying on sources allegedly linked to Hamas.
Myska, however, argued that the backlash had crossed a dangerous line.
“The attacks levelled at Nick Kristof for his column are almost unprecedented,” she wrote.
“He’s been accused of ‘blood libel’, unsubstantiated alleged smears by NYT staff and a huge online pile-on. At this point NY Times needs to stand by its journalism and issue a statement in support of Kristof.”
Kristof’s article drew parallels between the global outrage over sexual violence committed during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the comparatively muted international response to allegations made by Palestinian detainees.
The veteran columnist said he interviewed multiple Palestinians were subjected to rape, torture, genital abuse, and sexual humiliation while in Israeli custody. He also cited reports from groups including B’Tselem, Save the Children, and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Critical take from Israel's Foreign Ministry on my column about sexual assaults of Palestinian men, women and children. You can read my piece here through a gift link: https://t.co/SL0oxguNmi https://t.co/stqHqs0Ktp
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) May 11, 2026
Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations and denied claims of systematic sexual abuse. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously dismissed similar accusations as “baseless” and described some allegations against Israeli soldiers as “blood libel.”
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