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<div class="gmail-aQ gmail-yellow-flag"><font size="1">News Brief- <a href="https://www.mintpressnews.com/as-evidence-mounts-of-dogs-raping-palestinian-prisoners-in-israeli-prisons-nyts-isabel-kershner-revives-unverified-october-7-rape-narrative/290938/?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_19_2026_12_34_COPY_06)&mc_cid=d05201e794">https://www.mintpressnews.com/as-evidence-mounts-of-dogs-raping-palestinian-prisoners-in-israeli-prisons-nyts-isabel-kershner-revives-unverified-october-7-rape-narrative/290938/?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_19_2026_12_34_COPY_06)&mc_cid=d05201e794</a></font></div>
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<a href="https://www.mintpressnews.com/as-evidence-mounts-of-dogs-raping-palestinian-prisoners-in-israeli-prisons-nyts-isabel-kershner-revives-unverified-october-7-rape-narrative/290938/" class="gmail-white-link">
As Evidence Mounts of Dogs Raping Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli
Prisons, NYT\u2019s Isabel Kershner Revives Unverified October 7 Rape
Narrative </a>
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<div class="gmail-content-sidebar-wrap gmail-main-content"><div class="entry-content"><p class="gmail-has-drop-cap"><span style="font-weight:400">Isabel
Kershner, a longtime correspondent for The New York Times whose sons
have reportedly served in the Israeli military, is facing growing
scrutiny over her latest reporting on alleged October 7 sexual violence
claims \u2014 particularly as renewed attention falls on documented abuse and
sexual violence agaisnt Palestinians inside Israeli detention
facilities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Public scrutiny intensified following a recent report by </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/opinion/israel-palestinians-sexual-violence.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight:400">Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times detailing</span></a><span style="font-weight:400">
allegations of severe abuse against Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman
prison, including claims involving sexual violence and the use of dogs
against prisoners, including minors. Kristof\u2019s report helped push
allegations long documented by human rights organizations into
mainstream American discourse.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Yet as renewed attention focused on
Palestinian detainees, Kershner published new reporting reviving
disputed and unverified October 7 rape allegations attributed to Hamas.
Critics argue the timing reflects a recurring media pattern: whenever
scrutiny intensifies around Israeli abuses against Palestinians, major
Western outlets redirect attention toward unverified claims against
Hamas to justify Israel\u2019s genocide in Gaza.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">At the center of Kershner\u2019s latest
reporting is Cochav Elkayam-Levy, one of the most heavily promoted
sources behind claims of Hamas sexual violence. Elkayam-Levy and her
organization became central to Western media coverage after October 7,
with outlets and political leaders worldwide presenting her as a leading
authority on the allegations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">However, Israeli media later reported
accusations that Elkayam-Levy and her commission had misled donors,
exaggerated evidence collection efforts, and spread misinformation
related to October 7 claims. The controversy surfaced shortly after she
received the prestigious Israel Prize.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Despite repeated disclaimers
acknowledging that rape allegations could not be independently verified,
outlets including CNN, BBC, Associated Press, and The New York Times
amplified the narratives globally. The allegations quickly became
central to political messaging used to justify Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Kershner\u2019s own role has fueled further
debate about conflicts of interest in Western reporting on Israel and
Palestine. Years earlier, she publicly acknowledged that her children
had served in the Israeli military, prompting criticism from media
watchdogs who argued that major outlets often blur the line between
reporting and national alignment in coverage of Israel and Palestine. </span></p>
<h3><b>Verified: Israel\u2019s decades long history of sexual violence against Palestinians </b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">While Nicholas Kristof\u2019s report
detailing raping Palestinian hostages (prisoners) and children with dogs
inside Israeli prisons shocked many Western readers, the allegations
themselves are not new. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">International human rights
organizations, Palestinian legal groups, former detainees, and Israeli
whistleblowers have documented abuse inside Israeli prisons for decades
before October 7.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Reports from groups including Human
Rights Watch, B\u2019Tselem, Defense for Children International-Palestine,
and UN experts have repeatedly accused Israeli authorities of torture,
sexual humiliation, rape, beatings, stress positions, denial of medical
care, and the use of dogs during raids, interrogations, and detention
operations involving Palestinians \u2014 including children.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">More recently, former Israeli soldier
and whistleblower Shaiel Ben-Ephraim publicly discussed the issue during
an interview with Piers Morgan, describing the abuse as widely known
inside the Israeli system.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><i><span style="font-weight:400">\u201cA lot of people in
these prisons, both members of the prison service and IDF officers\u2026 are
completely aware of the use of dogs,\u201d Ben-Ephraim stated.</span></i></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">He further confirmed that dogs had
been used to carry out acts of sexual violence against Palestinian
detainees, intensifying calls for independent international
investigations into Israeli detention practices.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">In 2023, additional scrutiny emerged
after a former U.S. State Department official, Josh Paul, involved in
overseeing arms transfers to Israel stated publicly that Washington was
aware Palestinians \u2014 including minors \u2014 were being subjected to abuse
and sexual violence inside Israeli detention facilities. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">The comments added to growing
criticism that American officials continued military support despite
knowledge of alleged human rights violations.</span></p>
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