Wikipedia co-founder blocks editing of ‘Gaza genocide’

Wikipedia co-founder blocks editing of ‘Gaza genocide’

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales personally intervened to dam the website’s customers from editing a web page titled “Gaza genocide” after describing the article as a “particularly egregious” violation of neutrality.

“At present, the lede and the overall presentation state, in Wikipedia’s voice, that Israel is committing genocide, although that claim is highly contested,” Wales wrote on a dialogue web page accompanying the controversial article.

It is comparatively uncommon for Wikipedia editors to be locked or blocked from editing. 

The co-founder of Wikipedia personally intervened to dam the website’s customers from editing a web page titled “Gaza genocide.”

But Wales — whose current title is chair emeritus of the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation that oversees the free on-line encyclopedia — said that Wikipedia editors must attribute claims of genocide to exterior sources instead of presenting them as a matter of fact.

He explained that he was not asserting, “it is not genocide,” however that “it is not the job of Wikipedia to adjudicate the issue.”

Wales cited Wikipedia insurance policies on neutrality and attribution to make his case.

“Remember: ‘This policy is non-negotiable, and the principles upon which it is based cannot be superseded by other policies or guidelines, nor by editor consensus,’” Wales wrote.

As of Monday morning, the lede of the “Gaza genocide” web page acknowledged: “The Gaza genocide is the ongoing, intentional, and systematic destruction of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip carried out by Israel during the Gaza struggle.

“The genocidal acts include mass killings, starvation, infliction of serious bodily and mental harm, and preventing births,” the lede continued, citing “other acts include blockading, destroying civilian infrastructure, destroying health care facilities, killing health care workers and aid seekers, causing mass forced displacement, committing sexual violence, and destroying educational, religious, and cultural sites.”

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said he stepped in to the politically charged matter over the claims made on the web page. ZUMAPRESS.com

Visitors to the web page on Monday morning might still read the textual content in spite of the editing block.

The top of the web page features a message next to an icon of a lock.

“This article is currently protected from editing until November 4, 2025 at 21:47 UTC, or until editing disputes have been resolved,” the message acknowledged.

The disclaimer is “not an endorsement of the current version.”

Wales got here under hearth from Wikipedia editors who accused him of bowing to strain from pro-Israel teams that have lengthy accused the website of anti-Israel bias.

“I was asked point-blank in a high profile media interview about this article, and I answered with transparency and honesty: this article fails to meet our high standards and needs immediate attention,” Wales wrote.

It was not instantly clear which interview he was referring to.

A quantity of students and human rights organizations have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. AFP through Getty Images

He demanded that the volunteer editors of the website undertake a “neutral approach” that “would begin with a formulation such as: ‘Multiple government, NGOs, and legal bodies have described or rejected the characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide’.”

Some of the editors who posted on the “talk page” that accompanies the entry voiced outrage about Wales’ intervention.

An editor who goes by the deal with “wasianpower” wrote that his transfer was “disrespectful to all the experienced, good faith editors who put a lot of hard work into getting this article to the place it is.”

Others called Wales’ intervention an “appalling overreach” that amounted to an “end-run around our procedures.”

A 3rd Wikipedia editor accused him of having a battle of curiosity given his reported ties to Israel.

Wales has reportedly visited Israel not less than 10 instances. In 2015, he was awarded the prestigious Dan David Prize from Tel Aviv University.

Israel launched navy reprisals in Gaza following the terrorist assaults of Oct. 7, 2023. ZUMAPRESS.com

“You have a major conflict of interest here given that you’re a strong supporter of the accused entity,” one Wikipedia editor wrote.

Israel launched navy actions against Gaza-based Hamas after the Islamist terrorist group staged assaults on Oct. 7, 2023 that led to the deaths of some 1,200 Israelis.

A quantity of students and human rights organizations have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, the place the dying rely from Israeli navy reprisals has been estimated in the tens of 1000’s. Israeli authorities have strongly denied allegations of genocide.

The Post has sought remark from Wales, Wikimedia Foundation, the Israeli authorities and the Palestinian Authority.

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