Germany on Wednesday called for an inquiry into allegations of torture and sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody following a New York Times report detailing claims of mistreatment and sexual violence.
"We have, of course, taken note of these reports. As a matter of principle, the federal government condemns sexual violence in all contexts. We do not have any information of our own regarding the cases mentioned, which is why it is absolutely crucial that these allegations be investigated and that the perpetrators be held accountable," said foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese at a press briefing in Berlin.
Asked whether the German government would support independent bodies gaining access to prisons in Israel to investigate the matter, Giese replied, "Well, this is a policy that the federal government has been pursuing for a long time. We are committed to ensuring that the International Committee of the Red Cross has access to Palestinian prisoners."
On Sunday, a New York Times opinion columnist alleged that Palestinian detainees have been subjected to widespread sexual violence by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, occupiers, and interrogators, citing interviews with former detainees and findings from rights groups.
In a column titled The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians, columnist Nicholas Kristof said he interviewed 14 Palestinian men and women who described sexual assaults and other abuse during detention or attacks by Israeli forces and settlers.
Kristof wrote that there was "no evidence that Israeli leaders order rapes," but argued that Israeli authorities had built "a security apparatus where sexual violence has become," citing a U.N. report, one of Israel's "standard operating procedures."
The article included testimonies from former detainees who alleged rape, beatings, threats of sexual violence, and humiliation during imprisonment.
Kristof cited reports by organizations, including Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Save the Children, B'Tselem, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, documenting allegations of sexual abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees.
Kristof also referenced a 49-page U.N. report published last year that accused Israel of "systematically" subjecting Palestinians to "sexualized torture."
