Wikipedia editors stated that the Anti-Defamation League cannot be trusted to provide reliable information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and they overwhelmingly said that the ADL is an unreliable source on anti-Semitism. It is a stunning rebuke to one of the world’s foremost authorities on anti-Jewish hatred and a leading advocate for the rights and causes of American Jews.
The editorial board, a group of volunteer moderators for one of the world’s most popular information websites, voted last week to label the ADL as a “generally unreliable” source on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This means that the ADL should not normally be cited in Wikipedia articles on that subject, except in extraordinary circumstances. Other generally unreliable sources, according to Wikipedia editors, include Russian state media, Fox News political reporting and Amazon reviews.
The ADL also faces a vote from Wikipedia editors to potentially label the organization as unreliable on anti-Semitism. The editors overwhelmingly support that label, but continue to debate the decision, which could ultimately deal a blow to the credibility of the leading source of research and information on anti-Semitism.
Wikipedia editors said in an online forum that the ADL’s dual role as an advocacy and research organization prevented it from providing unbiased accounts of Israel or anti-Semitism.
“The ADL is so biased against Israel/Palestine that it often acts as a pro-Israel lobbying organization,” wrote an editor with the username Loki, who has edited more than 3,000 Wikipedia articles. “This can and will jeopardize the ability to accurately report facts about people and organizations that disagree on this issue, especially non-Zionist or anti-Zionist Jews and Jewish organizations.”
A minority of editors disagreed, arguing that the editors who voted in favor failed to provide evidence that the ADL made false claims because of its advocacy work.
The ADL strongly criticized the decision.
“It is deeply troubling that the many editors who have noted the serious flaws and inaccuracies in both the reasoning and sources used in this campaign to delegitimize ADL are being ignored,” an ADL spokesperson said in a statement. “They have refuted every claim point by point, based on factual quotes, but apparently facts no longer matter.”
The ADL called the decision “a sad development for research and education” and “devastating for the Jewish community and society” and said it would continue its work in the fight against anti-Semitism. But the spokesperson warned that Wikipedia’s action would prevent information about anti-Semitism from reaching the public.
ADL adapts to a changing world
Prior to Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7, the ADL was largely focused on educating about and advocating action against the rise of anti-Semitism around the world. That alarming trend included (and continues to include) a growing number of threats and anti-Jewish actions from white supremacist groups, and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt became a frequent guest on television news, such as CNN.
Following the events of October 7 and the protracted war that followed, the ADL produced numerous reports of increasing anti-Semitic hate speech and incidents, especially on college campuses. It produced two report cards on universities’ actions to protect Jewish students, with more than a dozen colleges receiving failing grades.
But the ADL has faced some criticism for doubling down on what some opponents say was an overly broad definition of anti-Semitism, including anti-Zionism and certain anti-Israel statements and actions.
“ADL leadership has taken a much more aggressive stance than most academic researchers in blurring the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism,” said James Loeffler, professor of modern Jewish history at John Hopkins University. “It is clear from the Wikipedia editors’ conversation that they are strongly influenced by the comments of ADL leadership.”
Greenblatt and the ADL made it clear that political opposition to Israel’s government and policies was acceptable and not anti-Semitic. But those who denied that Jews had the right to self-determination and freedom in their homeland were anti-Semitic, according to the ADL.
“Let’s make this very clear: anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism,” Greenblatt said at an ADL “State of Hate” event in March. “Anti-Zionism is a denial of Jewish history, a denial of Jewish humanity.”
That did not go down well with Wikipedia’s editors. For example, one editor, with the username Sameboat, claimed that the ADL leader’s advocacy “demonstrates his skewed views and manipulative presentation on the IP topic (Israel-Palestine) and is therefore deeply unreliable.”
Balance between advocacy and reliable information
The ADL has built expertise in tracking anti-Semitic threats and hate groups and has done useful work in providing the world with information and data on anti-Semitism, especially since so few organizations do that kind of research, Loeffler noted. And the fact that the ADL combines advocacy with research is not a new problem for the organization.
But Wikipedia’s decision may reflect a changing landscape that the ADL must reckon with. The war in Gaza has deeply divided people of all backgrounds, including Jews. The war has added significant ambiguity and complications to the world’s view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
If Wikipedia’s editors distance themselves from the ADL, it could indicate that media outlets, academic organizations, and collaborating advocacy groups will think twice about how they approach ADL data in their own efforts to inform their audiences about anti-Semitism.
“The challenge for the ADL is to separate the advocacy from the data when it comes to the overall message,” Loeffler said. “I believe this will be a major blow to the ADL’s credibility in its role in this matter. The staff there will continue to do the hard work, but this does offer the opportunity for self-reflection.”
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