Although Wikipedia subsequently imposed topic bans on six editors and barred three from the platform entirely, the ADL found that their previous contributions had not undergone a systematic review.
By United with Israel Staff
A new investigation by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has revealed that Wikipedia continues to feature widespread anti-Israel distortions, including efforts to downplay Hamas atrocities committed during the October 7 massacre, despite disciplinary action against editors accused of manipulating the online encyclopedia.
The report, released Thursday, found that 91% of one banned editor’s contributions to six major Wikipedia articles remain in place, raising serious questions about the reliability of one of the world’s most widely consulted information sources.
The findings follow a March 2025 ADL investigation that identified approximately 30 editors allegedly involved in a coordinated campaign to reshape Wikipedia’s coverage of Israel, Hamas, Zionism, and Jewish history.
Although Wikipedia subsequently imposed topic bans on six editors and barred three from the platform entirely, the ADL found that their previous contributions had not undergone a systematic review.
One particularly troubling example involved Wikipedia’s coverage of the October 7 massacre. In November 2023, an editor deleted approximately 17,000 characters from the article on the Gaza war, removing accounts of Hamas atrocities supported by forensic findings, eyewitness testimony, and video evidence.
The deleted material included descriptions of victims who had been tortured, evidence of sexual violence, and footage documenting an attempted decapitation. Just two days later, another 7,400 characters were removed, further stripping the article of details about the massacre.
According to the ADL, the resulting account substantially minimizes the brutality of the attacks, with the remaining language suggesting that terrorists only “reportedly engaged” in such acts.
The report also found that Wikipedia’s coverage of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks continues to be shaped by editors who have repeatedly resisted changes to language questioning whether Israeli women and girls were raped, despite multiple investigations documenting the crimes.
The investigation also highlighted changes to Wikipedia’s main Hamas article. Just three days after the October 7 attacks, an editor moved extensive information concerning the terrorist organization’s antisemitism, use of human shields, recruitment of child combatants, and human rights abuses into a separate, less prominent article.
The ADL further identified 19 active accounts continuing to influence Israel-related coverage, including eight editors from the original group and 11 newly identified accounts.
Rather than relying on overt coordination, the editors allegedly use less conspicuous methods, including repeatedly reversing changes, inserting qualifying language that casts doubt on documented facts, and gradually rewriting articles.
The organization warned that the consequences extend far beyond Wikipedia itself, as its content is frequently incorporated into search engine results and artificial intelligence systems.
“Banning individual editors was never going to be enough,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said, warning that the effects of the alleged disinformation campaign remain embedded in widely read articles.
Banning individual editors was never going to be enough. The pages that millions of people read, and that AI tools learn from, still bear the marks of a coordinated, systematic campaign to inject antisemitic and anti-Israel narratives into the online encyclopedia that Wikipedia itself has imposed sanctions over but never cleaned up.
The most visited online encyclopedia that claims neutrality has to be willing to repair its own record. The Wikimedia Foundation should audit this work, and the companies that build search and AI products should stop presenting contested framing as settled fact.
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) October 15, 2026
The ADL is demanding a comprehensive audit of affected articles, stronger safeguards against biased editing, and greater accountability from Wikipedia and technology companies that rely on its content.
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