The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Congress and the Trump administration to take immediate action after a New York Times report detailed horrifying allegations of widespread sexual abuse, rape, torture, and humiliation of Palestinians held in Israeli detention facilities.
Archiv: Shin Bet (spy agency Israel)
This is a hard article to read, but I hope you‘ll do so.
(May 11, 2026)
I‘ve spent some time reporting on widespread rape and other sexual violence of Palestinian male and female prisoners by Israeli authorities, and the article is now published. The assault victims were warned not to give speak of what they endured — they were sometimes told they would be killed or raped if they gave interviews — but they found the courage to do so. One man described being raped three times in a single day in Israeli prison, the third time after he tried to protest. A young woman said the guards would come in at the beginning of each shift and strip her naked and abuse her. Another reported that she was shown photos of herself being raped and warned they would be released unless she cooperated with Israeli intelligence. Even three children who had been detained told me they had been sexually abused. Look, whatever our position on the Middle East, we should be able to agree on being anti-rape. Sexual assaults were horrific when Israeli women were targeted on Oct. 7, and they‘re equally horrific when Israeli authorities use them against Palestinians day after day after day. We should be able to find common ground in opposing rape. Here‘s a gift link to the article:
Israeli Officials Denounce NYT Report on Systemic Sexual Abuse of Palestinians
The article in question, “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” by Nicholas Kristof, recounts the stories of 14 Palestinians who experienced sexual violence at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers. A majority of the interviews discuss sexual violence inflicted by soldiers and interrogators on Palestinians in Israeli detention, but others speak of attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank — attacks that are “increasingly protect[ed]” by the Israeli military, according to Kristof. The interviews are reinforced by testimony from Israeli and international human rights organizations, and demonstrate that sexual violence is systemic, used on a daily basis against Palestinians, and effectively Israeli state policy.
The Horror of Sexual Assault in Israeli Prisons
(transcript)
I’m appalled by this pattern of abuse, partly because our American tax dollars subsidize the Israeli security forces. I fear that leaves us complicit. The United States has leverage, and we could use it to insist on an end to the impunity and to demand that Red Cross visits be restored for Palestinian detainees. Look, whether you consider yourself pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian, here’s one thing we should be able to agree on: We’re anti-rape. The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day after day.
The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians
It’s a simple proposition: Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.
Supporters of Israel made that point after the brutal sexual assaults against Israeli women during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu and many U.S. senators, including Marco Rubio, condemned that sexual violence, and Netanyahu rightly called on “all civilized leaders” to “speak up.”
And yet in wrenching interviews, Palestinians have recounted to me a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children — by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, prison guards.
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(November 30, 2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(November 30, 2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Israel asked Qatar to increase amount of funds it gave to Hamas month before October 7
Israel asked Qatar to increase the amount of funds it gave to Hamas around a month before the October 7 attacks, Yedioth Ahronoth reported early on Friday.
Israel sought Qatar cash increase for Hamas weeks before October 7
Until now, it had been reported, including in a New York Times investigation published in December 2023, that Israel asked Doha to continue transferring funds to Hamas. It now emerges that Israel went further and actively sought to increase those transfers in response to Hamas threats of escalation in Gaza.
(…)
At this point, it is important to explain the circular arrangement. Beginning in late 2021, in an effort to prevent direct cash transfers to Hamas, Israel, Qatar and Sinwar agreed that Qatar would purchase fuel in Egypt and transfer it as a donation to Hamas authorities. Hamas then sold the fuel to gas stations in Gaza. The sums appeared modest, between $3 million and $10 million, but Hamas profited far more.
Knesset extends order allowing IDF, Shin Bet to hack into private security cameras
(December 24, 2025)
The Knesset approved a one-year extension of a temporary order that authorizes the IDF and Shin Bet security service to hack into private security cameras without their owners‘ knowledge.
Although the temporary order originally stipulated that hacking into cameras would only be done in cases related to „significant military activities,“ the current proposal eliminated this condition so that the order would not be dependent on the state of war. However, the grounds for activating the order were reduced.
Ten Knesset members voted in favor of the order in the third and final vote, with no opponents.
Israeli parliament extends order allowing Israeli military, intelligence access into private security cameras
(December 24, 2025)
Israel’s Knesset approved a one-year extension of a temporary order allowing the Israeli military and Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet to hack into private security cameras without owners’ knowledge, Haaretz reported.
The original order limited such access to cases involving “significant military activities.”
The updated legislation removed this restriction, allowing the order to be used regardless of a state of war, while narrowing the grounds for its activation. In the third and final vote, ten Knesset members supported the measure and none opposed it.
WATCH: Palestinian teen says he was tortured in settler kidnapping
Palestinian teenager Oweis Hemam says he was kidnapped and tortured by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Watch the 18-year-old’s account below.
IDF probing reservists who allegedly beat Palestinian teen, causing ‘disturbing’ injuries
(December 6, 2025)
A military source claimed that Hamam was suffering from a mental illness.
Soldiers of the IDF’s so-called area defense forces, known by its Hebrew acronym Hagmar — made up of local settlers in reserve duty — who were already in the area, alongside Sde Ephraim’s security coordinator, called on the man to leave, the army said.
According to the military, the reservist soldiers fired in the air, but the suspect continued to approach them. “The reserve soldiers struggled with the suspect physically until they were able to arrest him,” the IDF said.
Zum Völkermord gezwungen?
Der Vernichtungskrieg gegen die Hamas und Gaza sei alternativlos und aus Notwehr erfolgt, behauptet Israels Ministerpräsident Netanjahu. Was aber, wenn sich der Terroranschlag vom 7. Oktober 2023 hätte verhindern lassen? Vieles spricht dafür, dass seine rechtsgerichtete Regierung die Dinge hat geschehen lassen. Müsste die Geschichte dann nicht umgeschrieben werden, fragt sich Ralf Wurzbacher.
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(November 30, 2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Press Netanyahu to end Gaza war, former Israeli defense chiefs ask Trump in letter
These top officials, along with top former police and foreign ministry officials, lead the Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS) group – which now makes up over 600 former senior security officials – in making that call on Trump to intervene.
‚End Gaza war‘: 600 ex-Israeli security officials urge Trump
Over 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have urged United States President Donald Trump to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government to end the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The appeal was made in an open letter released on Monday.
The signatories included former chiefs of Shin Bet and Mossad, who argued that „Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel.“
Hundreds of Israeli ex-security officials call on Trump to end Gaza war
Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials urged US President Donald Trump on Monday to pressure the Israeli government into ending the war in Gaza, saying Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat and calling on the US leader to help „steer“ their country towards a ceasefire.
Far-Right Govt Crack Down on Freedom of Press and Coverage of War Damage in Israel
The move, which targets major international outlets such as Al Jazeera, CNN, France 24 and The New York Times, empowers the police, the Government Press Office (GPO), and the military censor to enforce stricter controls on foreign reporting of war-related damage inside Israel. According to the directive, enforcement will apply regardless of the media outlet for which the footage is being filmed. Police documented themselves obstructing camera views – images which were later aired, suggesting coordination between field officers and intelligence units. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has since become involved in enforcement.
The crackdown follows incidents on Tuesday in Beer Sheva, Holon, and Ramat Gan, where police arrived at rocket impact sites, confiscated camera equipment, and confronted journalists broadcasting live footage that appeared on Al Jazeera screens globally.
The enforcement has already reached Haifa. Early Tuesday morning, police knocked on the door of a hotel room overlooking the city’s bay area, where two foreign photographers were staying, and confiscated their equipment. According to police, the action followed a tip that individuals intended to record from a balcony facing Haifa Port.
Netanyahu, Trump conclude talk on Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Monday evening with US President Donald Trump about the Iranian issue. Following the conversation, Netanyahu is expected to convene a closed-door security meeting with several senior officials: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Mossad Director David Barnea, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa‘ar, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Former Israeli minister accuses Netanyahu of arming jihadists in Gaza
In response, Netanyahu‘s office said: „Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various ways, on the recommendation of all heads of the security establishment.“
In recent months there have been several reports that Israel is suspected of supporting, or turning a blind eye to, armed gangs that loot aid and food depots in Gaza.
Several Israeli news websites reported on Thursday that the armed gang is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of a large clan in southern Gaza.
Israel opposition leader says Netanyahu arming ‚equivalent of Isis‘ gangs in Gaza
„Israel has provided assault rifles and light weapons to crime families in Gaza, on Netanyahu‘s orders,“ Lieberman, the head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former finance minister and deputy prime minister, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Thursday.
„The weapons are being transferred to criminals and offenders and are being directed at Israel.
„In my opinion, it did not pass cabinet approval. The head of the Shin Bet knows, I‘m not sure the chief of staff knows. We‘re talking about the equivalent of Isis in Gaza,“ he added, referencing the Islamic State group.
Netanyahu Ignores Attorney-General And Court, Appoints New Shin Bet Director
(May 22, 2025)
Just yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled by a 2-1 majority that Ronen Bar’s dismissal was tainted by a conflict of interest, particularly due to the Qatargate affair. Although Bar announced he would leave “voluntarily,” Netanyahu had initially sought to remove him, but retracted under legal pressure. Following the court’s ruling, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructed Netanyahu to refrain from involvement in appointing Bar’s successor.
Despite this, Netanyahu announced the new appointment today, openly defying the AG’s directive.
Israel Supreme Court rules firing of security agency chief ‘unlawful’ amid political firestorm
(May 22, 2025)
Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that the cabinet’s dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was “improper” and “unlawful.” The court found the firing lacked valid justification and was based on a “thin and shaky factual foundation.”
Expanding on the court’s reasoning, court president Justice Isaac Amit condemned the government’s failure to consult the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee.
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(November 30, 2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Israeli security chief says he’ll step down June 15, facing pressure from Netanyahu
But it’s unclear if Bar’s tenure will last that long. On March 21, the Israeli cabinet unanimously voted to dismiss Bar from his position as the head of the Israel Security Agency, commonly known as the Shin Bet.
Bar’s dismissal was to take effect on April 10, but Israel’s High Court froze the firing, enraging Netanyahu and his right-wing allies, who can still mount an effort to fire Bar before the self-announced retirement date.
High Court grants Israeli PM Netanyahu extension to submit affidavit about Shin Bet chief‘s dismissal
Legally, submitting an affidavit is equivalent to providing binding testimony in court and, in exceptional cases, can also open the door to cross-examination.
This past Monday, Ronen Bar submitted a sharply critical affidavit to the High Court against the government and Netanyahu. In it, he claimed that the prime minister made „illegal requests“ at the end of work meetings, after asking that recording devices be turned off.