Wikipedia editors label ADL 'generally unreliable' on Middle East conflict due to pro-Israel bias

The editors of the large online encyclopedia Wikipedia claimed last week that the Jewish-American advocacy group Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is “generally unreliable” when it comes to information about the Arab-Israeli conflict because of its pro-Israel associations.

The Wikipedia editors argued that the ADL "should not be cited for factual information on antisemitism as well because it acts primarily as a pro-Israel organization and tends to label legitimate criticism of Israel as antisemitism," the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.

“ADL no longer appears to adhere to a serious, mainstream and intellectually cogent definition of antisemitism, but has instead given into the shameless politicization of the very subject that it was originally esteemed for being reliable on,” claimed Wikipedia editor Iskandar323 without elaborating.

Following its announcement, Wikipedia has reportedly decided to add the ADL to its list of banned and partially banned sources.

While the ADL supports the Jewish state’s right to exist and defend itself, it has, on several occasions, criticized specific Israeli policies.

However, the main focus of ADL is to document incidents of antisemitism worldwide, which it has done since its inception in 1910 and is regarded as a respected international authority on combating Jew hatred.

ADL responded by describing Wikipedia’s statement as a ”campaign to delegitimize the ADL,” adding that it had “provided point by point refutations, grounded in factual citations, to every claim made, but apparently facts no longer matter.”

“This is a sad development for research and education, but ADL will not be daunted in our age-old fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate,” the ADL said in its official statement.

The Wikipedia site, itself, has become increasingly politicized amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas. In March, Wikipedia’s Arabic section accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. It also rejected the well-documented Hamas mass rape of Israeli women as an “Israeli propaganda lie.”

Arabic-language Wikipedia pages still feature a highly politicized banner message that contradicts the online encyclopedia’s claim of factual objectivity.

“In solidarity with the right of the Palestinian people, no to genocide in Gaza, no to killing civilians. No to targeting hospitals and schools. No to deception and double standards. Stop the war and spread a just and comprehensive peace.”

In addition, the banner features a Palestinian Authority flag on one side and a keffiyeh, which has become of symbol of resistance" on the other.

The National Review criticized Arab Wikipedia’s content.

“Each phrase…‘genocide in Gaza,’ ‘killing civilians,’ ‘targeting hospitals and schools,’ and ‘mislead and double standards,’ leads to its own Arabic-language article…" stated the magazine.

"The link referencing civilian deaths leads to a page that translates to ‘Pogroms during the Palestinian-Israeli War 2023,’ which makes no distinction between Hamas terrorists and civilians and claims Israel bombed the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which, of course, it did not,” the National Review noted.

In May, ADL released a report that documented an alarming rise of antisemitism in Western countries since the Hamas invasion and terror attack on Oct. 7.

“For those whose views serve an anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist ideological and instrumentalist purpose, October 7 was a golden opportunity to advance further their hateful and racist fringe perspectives into mainstream conservative discourse, using it to attack rivals, mobilize supporters and attract new followers,” read the report.