Freedom of press

Wikipedia Deems ADL Unreliable on Israel-Palestine Conflict

JUN 20 2024·Updated JUN 22 2024

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The Facts

Wikipedia's volunteer editors have voted to label the Jewish non-profit Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as a "generally unreliable" source for the Israel-Palestine conflict.
CNN
The label means Wikipedia would not typically allow the ADL to be referenced in its articles regarding the Gaza conflict. The editors are also considering a vote on whether to label it as an unreliable source regarding antisemitism.
The Washington Times
The ADL was founded over 100 years ago to purportedly combat antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate. However, Wikipedia claims the organization conflates anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Independent
In defense of their decision, the editors argued that the ADL can't be unbiased due to its dual role as a research institution and pro-Israel advocacy group.
newsmax.com
Following the Oct. 7 attack, the ADL's definition of antisemitism was clarified to encompass anti-Zionism, with ADL Director Jonathan Greenblatt saying, "Let’s make this very clear: Anti-Zionism is antisemitism."
CNN
In 2021, Wikipedia declared the Jewish Chronicle generally reliable and banned the Jewish Virtual Library for most uses for its alleged pro-Israel bias.
Timesofisrael

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The Spin

Pro-Israel narrative

The ADL, whose statistics not even the editors could show are inaccurate, relies on its credibility. This vote was taken due to a handful of statements made by Jonathan Greenblatt and subjective arguments about how pro-Palestine protesters should be labeled. While these topics can certainly be debated, the longest-serving defender of Jewish rights shouldn't be banned from Wikipedia over them.

Timesofisrael

Pro-Palestine narrative

The US government and corporate media have long protected the ADL, but since the Oct. 7 attack, ADL leadership has dangerously conflated criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Even before Oct. 7, it was known to attack Palestinian-focused groups. Given its recent bad-faith assertions targeting Palestinian groups, scholars, students, and anti-war Jewish groups, Wikipedia has made the correct choice.

The Nation