Pro-Israel groups protest NYT sexual abuse op-ed, say it foments hatred
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 May 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US reporter Luke Tress joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following Thursday's demonstration at The New York Times building regarding the Nicholas Kristof column about alleged systematic sexual abuse of Palestinian inmates in Israel, Tress notes that protestors discussed concerns about slanted coverage that can instigate violence against Jews or Israel-related targets.
As New York's New School student government tries to defund its local Hillel chapter, accusing it of violent international crimes following recent student trips to Israel, Tress discusses the dispute and the trend toward colleges attempting to exclude chapters of the international Jewish student organization.
An anti-Israel protest held in Midwood, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, showed the ability to get more personal and ugly than those held at public spaces, reports Tress.
The presence of swastika graffiti has become more prevalent around New York City, notes Tress, and comes from both the far left, who want to demonize Israel and from far-right pro-Nazi movements.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Accused of ‘blood libel,’ NYT defends column alleging Israeli rape of Palestinian inmates
Citing Israel’s ‘international crimes,’ NYC student government trying to defund Hillel
Anti-Zionist protesters march through NYC Jewish neighborhood, chanting for intifada
On synagogues, playgrounds: In NY, swastika graffiti is increasingly common and rarely prosecuted
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IMAGE: Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing. (ToI)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Visual's Daily Briefing. It is Sunday, May 17th. I'm Jessica Steinberg, |
| 0:09.8 | and I'm speaking with New York reporter Luke Tress. Hey, Luke, how are you? Good to see you. Good to see you, |
| 0:15.8 | Jessica. To have you here. Before we get started, just a brief note that I want to share with you from now until the end of May, |
| 0:23.2 | you can support the Times of Israel's work and receive one of our wonderful tote bags when you |
| 0:28.6 | join the Timesurisul community at Times of Israel.com slash join. Let's look at the headlines very |
| 0:36.2 | briefly before Luke and I get started. |
| 0:39.1 | In the very top of the headlines right now, we have Israel's Noembatan. He finished second at the Eurovision behind Bulgaria this year's winner. |
| 0:50.7 | In another very different set of headlines, an IDF infantry, platoon commander, Captain Max, Israel Reconati, 24, was killed by a Chazbalah drone over the weekend. He was set to get married next month. |
| 1:05.4 | Meanwhile, the very porous ceasefire with Lebanon has been extended 45 more days after the third round of talks |
| 1:13.4 | between Israel and Lebanon. We're going to look at some of the headlines coming out of New York |
| 1:18.9 | of late, protest at the New York Times, Hillel at the New School, anti-Zionist protesters marching through Midwood, the New York |
| 1:32.1 | City, Jewish neighborhood of Midwood, and Nazi graffiti in New York City. Stay with us. |
| 1:49.8 | Israel's greatest national resource is its people. The Technion is where their potential is unleashed. For more than a century, the Technion has trained the engineers, scientists, |
| 1:56.1 | physicians, and entrepreneurs who power Israel's economy, strengthen its security, and secure its global edge. |
| 2:03.4 | Today, Technion mines are developing new advances in AI, |
| 2:07.1 | defense, energy, and medicine that Israel will need to rebuild post-war. |
| 2:12.6 | The next great-Israeli startup isn't a company. |
| 2:15.5 | It's Israel itself. |
| 2:21.3 | Engineered by the Technion. Join us. Visit aTS.org slash rebuild. Okay, so Luke, let's start with Thursday's protest outside the New York Times building |
| 2:43.0 | in Times Square or in the area, the vicinity of Times Square. You were there, you wrote that about |
| 2:50.7 | 200 protesters were there. |
| 2:53.3 | And of course, this is all about the Nicholas Christoph column that has been widely criticized |
... |
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