ADL denounces systematic anti-Israeli bias on Wikipedia

A new investigation by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) sheds light on systematic manipulation of content on Wikipedia in favor of anti-Israeli positions. The report, published by the ADL's Center for Technology and Society (CTS), identifies a group of about 30 editors actively collaborating to distort information related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These editors stand out for their significantly higher than average activity, with twice as many edits over the last decade and internal communication up to 18 times more frequent than other contributors. Their strategy involves systematically removing references to credible sources and using coordinated votes to minimize criticisms against Hamas while amplifying those targeting Israel.

"It’s clear that Wikipedia needs to do far more to address the very active antisemitic and anti-Israel bias and coordination," said CTS acting chief Daniel Kelley. "And until then, other platforms that rely on Wikipedia as a source – from Google Search to large language models like ChatGPT – must deprioritize unvetted Wikipedia content on issues related to Jews, Israel and the Middle East conflict so that they do not perpetuate this bias."

The ADL recommends several corrective measures, including the establishment of a review program by experts accredited by the Wikimedia Foundation, the appointment of special administrators to supervise discussions on controversial topics, and the reform of the dispute resolution process.

The report also highlights that the Arabic version of Wikipedia violates the platform's neutrality policies, particularly on the pages dedicated to Hamas that glorify the terrorist organization. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, warns that "Most readers assume Wikipedia is a reliable online encyclopedia, but in reality, it has become a biased platform manipulated by agenda-driven editors on many topics."

Furthermore, Greenblatt added that "Recent Wikipedia efforts toward neutrality are nothing but a Band-Aid on a problem that’s getting worse, with persistent antisemitic and anti-Israel bias still far too present. We urge Wikipedia and policymakers to act quickly before rampant disinformation on one of the most visited sources of information leads to tragic consequences."