‘I STAND By It!' Nicholas Kristof DOUBLES DOWN on NYT Israel Brutality Report - With Eric Weinstein

June 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Nicholas Kristof, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, recently published a report in the New York Times titled “The Silence that Meets the Rape of Palestinians,” detailing sexual assault of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli soldiers, settlers, and prison guards. The piece triggered a ferocious backlash, including threats of lawsuits from Prime Minister Netanyahu and comparisons of Kristof to a Nazi propagandist. On Piers Morgan Uncensored, Kristof sat down with Morgan to defend his reporting, while later in the episode, mathematician and podcaster Eric Weinstein offered a more sympathetic view of Israel’s strategic dilemma, arguing that the world has lost the ability to think clearly about war. The conversation exposed a deep chasm between those who see Israel’s actions as indefensible and those who see them as misunderstood necessities of survival.

The Kristof Report and the Backlash

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What you'll learn

1 (00:40) **Nicholas Kristof Defends His Report on Palestinian Sexual Assault** - Kristof explains the meticulous fact-checking behind his NYT report on sexual assault of Palestinians by Israeli forces, and why he stands by it.
2 (08:10) **Kristof on the Personal Toll and "Bad Faith" Attacks** - Kristof describes the ferocity of the backlash, including being compared to a Nazi propagandist, and reflects on the irony given his family's history of resisting Nazis.
3 (11:15) **The Ban on Journalists and the Need for Investigation** - Kristof argues that Israel's ban on journalists and the Red Cross in Gaza and prisons creates impunity for abuse.
4 (13:05) **The "Netanyahu Effect" and Shifting US Opinion** - Kristof discusses how the actions of the Israeli government, particularly under Netanyahu, are driving a generational shift in American public opinion against Israel.
5 (17:43) **The Iran War as a "Catastrophic Failure"** - Kristof assesses the US-Israel war on Iran, arguing it has resulted in a harder-line regime in Tehran and increased the risk of nuclear proliferation.
6 (19:04) **Kristof Rejects the "Most Moral Army" Claim** - Kristof directly challenges the assertion that the IDF is the most moral army, calling it "completely disagree" and noting the leveling of Gaza and Lebanon.
7 (20:53) **John Spencer Defends IDF's Civilian Harm Mitigation** - Urban Warfare expert John Spencer corrects the claim, stating his position is that Israel has implemented more measures to prevent civilian harm than any military in history.

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Guests on this episode

Nicholas Kristof Eric Weinstein Piers Morgan John Spencer

Show Notes

President Trump reportedly berated members of his own party yesterday in a bad-tempered meeting with Senate Republicans on the Iran War. Several Republicans defied Trump to pass a War Powers resolution which - symbolically - orders him to end military action or get their permission first. But while the endless MAGA schisms are fascinating, they are not the main barrier to peace - and Trump knows it. Israel is bitterly opposed to the US deal with Iran and has made its feelings known. Successive US presidents stood by Israel throughout the war on Gaza, even as many of its traditional allies expressed shock and alarm at the scale of civilian suffering. But just as the US met the limits of its power in the war on Iran. Israel is discovering that the limits to its power are met by challenging America’s interests. Piers Morgan speaks to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, a twice-winner of the Pulitzer Prize, who faced a ferocious outcry for his work last month and Executive Director of the Urban Warfare Institute John Spencer. Then, for the first time in our Uncensored London studios, Piers sits down with mathematician Eric Weinstein, who’s both a close friend of JD Vance and a strident supporter of Israel. Piers Morgan Uncensored is proudly independent and sponsored by: Dose: New customers save 35% on your first month of subscription by going to dosedaily.co/PIERS or entering PIERS at checkout. 00:00 Introduction 03:45 Nicholas Kristof interview begins 04:25 Nicholas Kristof on receiving threats over his report on the treatment of Palestinians 06:20 Nicholas Kristof on dogs being trained to sexually assault Palestinian prisoners 07:34 Nicholas Kristof on the intensified threats he’s received during his whole career 09:51 AD: DOSE - save 35% on your first month of subscription by going to dosedaily.co/PIERS or entering PIERS at checkout 10:54 International journalists being barred by Israel from entering Palestine 14:00 The role of Netanyahu in ethnically cleansing Palestinians 16:15 The war on Iran 19:30 John Spencer interview begins 22:00 The IDF targeting Palestinian civilians 28:35 How many civilians have been killed in Gaza? 34:07 Dr Eric Weinstein interview begins 35:11 Eric Weinstein on the narrative of London being overrun by immigrants 39:50 The UK grooming gang scandal 44:00 The disconnect between Netanyahu and his government 45:20 The role of the MI6 in Iran 47:30 The Strait of Hormuz and a deal in Iran 54:20 Is Netanyahu covering something up in Gaza? 59:40 Israel committing war crimes 01:02:04 What is Quantumania?

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