Jewish Groups Lambast Wikipedia for Its ‘Attack on ADL’s Credibility’ About Antisemitism, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

A total of 43 Jewish organizations signed a letter sent to the Wikimedia Foundation on Monday night that criticized Wikipedia’s conclusion last week that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is not a credible source for information about antisemitism and the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The Jewish groups — which include B’nai B’rith International, the American Jewish Committee, and American Jewish Congress —  expressed concerns regarding Wikipedia’s “attack on ADL’s credibility” and accused the free online encyclopedia of “stripping the Jewish community of the right to defend itself from the hatred that targets our community.”

“We urge you to immediately launch an investigation into this decision and the motivations behind it, and to start the process for administrative reconsideration” stated the letter, which was spearheaded by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and sent to the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees. “We hope that you will simultaneously speak out clearly and unequivocally in support of the Jewish community’s right to defend against antisemitism.”

Wikipedia’s editors, who are a group of volunteer moderators, voted last week in support of labeling the ADL as a “generally unreliable” source on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Other “generally unreliable” sources, according to Wikipedia’s editors, include Amazon reviews, Russian state media, the National Inquirer, and Newsmax.

The editors also overwhelmingly agreed that the ADL is unreliable on the topic of antisemitism, but a formal declaration on that matter has not been made as of yet. The Wikipedia editors said in an online forum that the ADL’s role as both a pro-Israel advocacy and research organization prevents it from being able to provide unbiased information about Israel or antisemitism.

In their letter to the Wikimedia Foundation, the Jewish organizations — including the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) and Hillel International — said antisemitism is not only “one of the oldest and most pernicious forms of hate,” but also “in many ways, one of the most often misunderstood.” They said they are worried that Wikipedia’s decision about the ADL “will enable others to undermine our community’s claims or charges of antisemitism and simultaneously use Wikipedia’s decision as cover to perpetuate antisemitism.”

“At a time when antisemitic attitudes are increasing, and antisemitic incidents are skyrocketing, this is simply unacceptable, and it puts our entire community at risk,” they added.

The Jewish groups additionally noted that they, as well as the ADL, rely on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism — which is the world’s most widely accepted definition of antisemitism. It has been adopted or endorsed by more than half of the United States and the District of Columbia, and is also used by over 1,000 global entities, including governments, universities, institutions, and other organizations.

“We are firmly united in the belief that an attack on ADL’s reliability over its use of the IHRA definition and advocacy on behalf of the Jewish people weakens us all,” the letter stated in conclusion. “Again, we urge the reconsideration of these actions and encourage Wikipedia to join us in combating antisemitism, rather than acting as a cover for those who seek to perpetuate the scourge of Jew hatred.”

The signatories included the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, American Sephardi Federation, Hadassah, Maccabi USA, Rabbinical Council of America, Iranian American Jewish Federation, and JCC Association of North America, among others.

The ADL criticized Wikipedia’s decision regarding its credibility when it was first announced last week. The civil rights organization called the decision “a sad development for research and education” and “devastating for the Jewish community and society.”

“It is deeply disturbing that the many editors who flagged the severe flaws and inaccuracies in both the reasoning and sources being used in this campaign to delegitimize ADL are being ignored,” an ADL spokesman said in a statement. “They have provided point by point refutations, grounded in factual citations, to every claim made, but apparently facts no longer matter.”

“Who made Wikipedia the arbiters of truth?” asked ADL Director Emeritus Abraham Foxman. “For over 110 years the ADL has jealously guarded its credibility — gaining the respect of the public, media, and government.Who evaluates Wikipedias’ credibility?”

Wikipedia “only discredits its own site when it tries to bar ADL from pages on Israel or antisemitism,” said B’nai B’rith International, which founded the ADL in 1913, in a post on X/Twitter. B’nai B’rith added that it “proudly stands” with the ADL “against all attempts to stifle Jewish perspectives on issues affecting the Jewish people first and foremost.”