The battle erupting between The New York Times and the nation of Israel is about far more than one controversial article. Beneath the headlines and legal threats is something ancient, something Christians and Jews alike have watched rise and fall throughout history: the resurgence of hatred toward God’s covenant people.
This week, Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel would pursue legal action against the New York Times after columnist Nicholas Kristof published allegations accusing Israeli soldiers and officials of widespread sexual violence against Palestinians.
Netanyahu did not mince words.
“One of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press,” he declared.
Later, in a statement posted to X, Netanyahu accused the publication of reviving a familiar evil that has stalked the Jewish people for centuries.
“They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers,” Netanyahu wrote. “We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail.”
Today I instructed my legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof.
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 14, 2026
They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas…
That phrase, “blood libel,” carries terrifying historical weight.
For nearly a thousand years, Jews were falsely accused across Europe of murdering Christian children for ritual purposes. Entire Jewish communities were slaughtered because of those lies. The article from Israel365 News notes that protesters outside the Times headquarters immediately recognized the connection. Demonstrators carried signs referencing the Dreyfus Affair and chanted, “Stop the libels, stop the hate.”
What we are witnessing is not isolated political outrage. It is the steady normalization of anti-Semitism under the cover of modern political rhetoric.
Scripture warned us this day would come.
The prophet Zechariah foresaw a future moment when the entire world would turn against Jerusalem: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about…” (Zech. 12:2).
Just a few verses later, the prophecy intensifies: “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All who burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth gather against it” (Zech. 12:3).
Order Jonathan Cahn’s New Book, “The Altar of Pergamon” on Amazon.com!
That is exactly where the world is heading.
The isolation of Israel on the global stage is not fading. It is accelerating. Political institutions, media outlets, activist organizations and governments increasingly portray the Jewish state as uniquely evil while excusing or minimizing the barbarity of terrorist movements openly committed to Israel’s destruction.
The article notes that Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the Times of publishing Kristof’s column immediately before the release of a report detailing Hamas’ systematic sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attacks. Protesters outside the paper also referenced earlier reporting failures surrounding the Al-Ahli hospital explosion in Gaza.
Meanwhile, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert publicly rebuked the column for misrepresenting his statements.
“I did not validate these claims,” Olmert said. “I have no knowledge supporting these claims as I said to Mr. Kristof.”
Yet despite mounting criticism, the Times doubled down.
Christians who study Bible prophecy should not be surprised by any of this.
Jesus Himself warned that the final years before His return would be marked by unprecedented deception, hatred and global turmoil (Matt. 24). The prophet Daniel described a coming world ruler, the Antichrist, who will deceive nations and make temporary agreements involving Israel before unleashing catastrophic persecution (Dan. 9:27).
The apostle Paul reminded us that Israel’s covenant relationship with God has never been revoked:
“For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29).
God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still stands.
That does not mean Israel escapes judgment or suffering. Scripture makes clear the Jewish people will endure unimaginable trials during the Great Tribulation. Zechariah 13 describes a refining fire coming upon the land. Revelation 12 depicts Satan turning his fury directly toward Israel in the final days.
But prophecy also declares redemption.
Paul writes in Romans 11:26: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.'”
The Jewish people are not abandoned. They are central to the prophetic timeline unfolding before our eyes.
What makes this moment so dangerous is how quickly anti-Semitism now disguises itself as moral enlightenment. Hatred no longer arrives wearing swastikas alone. It cloaks itself in activist slogans, selective outrage and media narratives that portray the Jewish state as uniquely monstrous among nations.
Naya Lekht, founder of Stop Antizionism, warned protesters outside the Times building that history is repeating itself.
“We are in the cycle of libels,” she said. “Blood libels right now that dress themselves up as politics.”
That statement cuts to the heart of the issue.
The spirit behind anti-Semitism has never disappeared. It merely changes language with each generation.
As Christians, we must not look away from this reality. We are watching prophecy move in real time. The pressure surrounding Israel is growing. The hostility is intensifying. The isolation is becoming more pronounced.
Yet Scripture already revealed the ending.
The Messiah will return. Jesus Christ will reign from Jerusalem. The nations will be judged. Israel will be redeemed. And the lies that fueled generations of hatred will finally be exposed in the light of God’s truth.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
