Inside the Base Where Israel Has Detained Thousands of Gazans
New York TimesMay 23
Report: Israeli Forces Sexually Abused Palestinian Prisoners at Sde Teiman
Above: An Israeli military guard post on a road outside of Hebron on Dec. 2, 2023. Image copyright: Spencer Platt/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The New York Times released a report last week based on a three-month investigation alleging that Israeli forces had tortured and abused Palestinian prisoners at the Sde Teiman army base that has acted as a detention facility.
NYT investigators interviewed former detainees, Israeli military officers, doctors, and soldiers who served at the site. Investigators also visited the base. The report stated that approximately 4K Palestinians from Gaza were held at the facility by late May, many being held without formal charges.
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
Unlike its enemies, Israel is a flourishing democracy and takes allegations of torture and abuse seriously. Israel's courts will take the appropriate action to stop any abuse of prisoners that may be occurring in Israel's detention facilities. Human rights groups would be better served spending their energy investigating terrorist groups like Hamas or its backers in Tehran, who systematically torture and abuse with no checks or balances.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Systematic torture in Israeli detention facilities is incredibly well-documented and has been a staple of the occupation for decades. Indeed, it is quite remarkable that such overwhelming evidence has made little impact on international opinion. The international community must do more to pressure Israel to end these practices.