To the NYT Editor:
Thank you so much for publishing Nicholas Kristof's piece The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians. The sexual violence Palestinians who fall into the hands of the Israeli military and/or the prison system is almost never discussed, but is deeply felt in Palestinian society. I shared your article with a friend who was subject to 14 months of administrative detention and ultimately released with no charges. He shared with me some of his experiences which included sexual abuse with pictures taken by his abusers (as well as his losing 1/3 of his body weight from starvation). His wise comment to me, "The shame is not mine, it is theirs."
The Israeli prison authorities' immediate and furious denials responding to the article are just par for the course for a government that rarely investigates abuses of power and never actually holds anyone accountable.
And thank you for pointing out that our tax dollars support these abuses so we are complicit. I would add that state treasurers and controllers like NYS' Tom DiNapoli who have purchased large amounts of Israel Bonds are also complicit.
Again, Thank you. It won't be easy to stand up to the response but if you can, it will be an important demonstration of what journalistic integrity looks like.
Sincerely,
Felice