The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has raised concerns involving Wikipedia over biased and antisemitic edits related to Israel. Over a year has passed since the ADL exposed a coordinated group of at least 30 Wikipedia editors adding misinformation and anti-Israel content. Despite the revelation, Wikipedia has made limited changes.
Unaddressed Concerns
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, expressed disappointment that Wikipedia has not removed the problematic editors nor reversed their edits. In their 2025 report, “Editing for Hate,” the ADL detailed efforts to manipulate content on topics such as Israel and Palestine. The report emphasized a bias from pro-Hamas narratives in Arabic-language entries.
The ADL noted that these editors were more prolific compared to others, being twice as active. Despite this, moderating action has been limited.
Wikipedia’s Response
Following the 2025 report, Wikipedia’s community did impose some restrictions on the editors. Nonetheless, the ADL argues these measures were insufficient. In a subsequent 2026 report, titled “Damage Done,” they found no systematic review of edits by banned users. 91% of edits made by banned editors were still visible.
Greenblatt emphasized the problem with an analogy: banning editors without amending their edits is like arresting vandals but leaving their graffiti untouched.
Case Study: Iskandar323
A notable account highlighted by the ADL, Iskandar323, serves as a case study. The account increased its editing activity after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, contributing around 485 edits mostly to high-traffic pages like “Israel,” “Gaza war,” and “Hamas.” The ADL observed that this account moved critical information on Hamas to lesser-read pages, diminishing the visibility of antisemitic and anti-Zionism topics.
Despite public proceedings by Wikipedia’s Arbitration Committee, which labeled Iskandar323’s behavior as disruptive, the account continued its contentious activities.
Impacts and Recommendations
The ADL worries about Wikipedia’s perceived impartiality, particularly with large language models challenging its trust. They argue that biased Wikipedia entries have broader implications due to its favored status in search engine results.
The ADL reported reduced visible coordination among the initial 30-editor group. Yet, they suspect quieter techniques persist, with new accounts surfacing.
Recommendations were made to the Wikimedia Foundation and several sectors to bolster accountability. They include verifying editor identities, enhancing transparency for platforms using Wikipedia, and maintaining oversight on biased content.
The ADL underscores the need for awareness about AI models referencing Wikipedia, urging the public and media to verify its citations and their reliability.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Wikimedia Foundation for comments but has not received a response yet.
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