Wikipedia faces DOJ probe for Anti-Israel bias

The U.S. Justice Department has initiated a groundbreaking probe into Wikipedia, threatening to revoke the Wikimedia Foundation’s nonprofit status over claims that the online encyclopedia has become a hub for anti-Israel propaganda and foreign influence. In a four-page letter to the foundation, Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Edward Martin wrote, “It has come to my attention that the Wikimedia Foundation, through its wholly owned subsidiary Wikipedia, is allowing foreign actors to manipulate information and spread propaganda to the American public.”

The investigation accuses Wikipedia of permitting “information manipulation,” including the rewriting of historical events and biographies of American leaders, but centres on allegations of a pervasive anti-Israel bias. Investigations by Pirate Wires and Jewish Journal revealed that high-ranking Wikipedia editors have systematically worked to cast Israel in a negative light while downplaying the actions of terrorist groups.

For instance, editors removed references to Hamas’s 1988 charter, which calls for the massacre of Jews, and redefined Zionism as an “ethnocultural nationalist movement” achieved through “colonization.” The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) bolstered these claims in a March report titled “Editing for Hate: How Anti-Israel and Anti-Jewish Bias Undermines Wikipedia’s Neutrality,” asserting that at least 30 editors collaborated to insert antisemitic narratives and misleading information, violating Wikipedia’s policies.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated, “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.” The bias reportedly escalated after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

New articles, such as “Gaza Genocide,” claimed Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, citing a UN committee and Amnesty International, while “Israeli Apartheid” described Israel’s policies as institutionalized segregation. Martin’s letter highlighted the broader implications, noting that Wikipedia’s prominence in search engine results and its use in training AI language models amplify this alleged manipulation.

Wikipedia refuted the accusations on Friday, insisting its 260,000 volunteers uphold policies for “accurate, fair, and neutral” content. Critics, however, argue that tax-exempt status probes typically fall under IRS jurisdiction, not federal prosecutors, raising questions about the investigation’s scope.