Wikimedia has struck a deal with Israeli officials to promote
students’ multi-lingual writing and re-writing of history,
geography and science topics in Wikipedia. Unwitting readers of
Wikipedia likely take accounts of Middle Eastern history at face
value, not realising the extent of manipulation occurring behind
the seemingly authoritative guise of an encyclopaedia.
From word choice, to basic information given or omitted, to
biased sources cited, Wikipedia is devolving into a completely
untrustworthy source.
Of course there has been an Annual Wikipedia Academy Conference
since 2009, where Israelis receive Wikipedia training and
encouragement. And of course groups such as CAMERA, a
pro-Zionist Israel public relations organisation, have
been actively editing Wikipedia since at least 2008. And
of course Israel has been actively funding hasbara on the
internet for years and isn’t shy about its “digital
diplomacy.” There’s even a “Jewish Internet Defense League”
that claims to be the “cutting edge of pro-Israel digital online
advocacy.” After all, the professed need for incessant
national promotion campaigns fits into the “we are the ones
under attack” theme.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has twice participated in the
Israeli Presidential Conference. As he said at the 2011
Wikimania conference held in Haifa, “I love coming to Israel.”
But it is Wales’ exchange with a Lebanese blogger that strongly
calls into question Wikipedia’s public goal of offering a
credible, neutral “sum of all human knowledge.” When the
blogger asked Wales about his participation in the 2011 Israeli
Presidential Conference, Wales snubbed the inquiry outright.
Wales responded with trite, vacuous remarks in defence of Israel
and then refused to communicate further. (An unripened
e-conversation that amused several pro-Zionists.)
Surely Wikipedia management is aware that Israel is one of the
most controversial topics in Wikipedia. One academic
study determined that the “Israel” page was rivalled only by the
“Adolf Hitler” page as being the most highly contested page
contained in all of the study’s three language sets. (See image
above.) From a researcher’s point of view, then, it is illogical
to encourage additional bias in the most contentious topic.
Yet that is precisely what Jimmy Wales has done and what this
newly announced partnership does.
It can be very valuable to research Israeli sources—from
newspapers to government agencies. But we should assess
these sources with the knowledge that the information provided
is filtered by an Israeli perspective, most likely Zionist.
We should balance those sources with a variety of views from
numerous perspectives. The key problem with anonymous,
reference style sources like Wikipedia is that we might assume
the neutrality they claim. Has Wikipedia offered similar
partnerships with countries worldwide? Why not involve students
in China, Peru, India, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Ethiopia,
Vietnam, or the many other countries who might like a say in how
the world is depicted? We have to wonder why favourtism has
been allowed by Wikipedia and whether it will be openly revealed
in its pages. Naturally, non-governmental Israelis should
participate in building Wikipedia, but on equal terms with any
other Wikipedian. Otherwise, Wikipedia is not what
it pretends to be.
I’ve had a discussion with Jimmy “Jimbo” Wales, the co-founder
of Wikipedia, concerning the fact that he was participating in
the Israeli Presidential Conference despite the international
call of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement.
Thought I’d share it with you. I’ll talk more about the
Palestinian *issue* in other posts.
in Lebanese Time:
Joey H. Ayoub. Sunday 19th of June, 2011. At 22:18 Lebanese Time
(+2 GMT)
Hello Sir,
Is it true that you’re participating in the Israeli Presidential
Conference despite what the government is doing to the
Palestinians?
I don’t find it polite to answer with a link (that I’ve already
read).
I am well aware of the disgusting human rights record of my
country. I have on numerous occasions shown my support for gay
rights and migrant rights among others. My country is deeply
divided among sectarian lines and I’ve participated in the last
two secularism marches which shows its support to all forms of
human rights, from religious freedom to gay rights to women
rights.
That being said, how is that relevant to my question? I asked if
it were true – I’m guessing it is – that you are participating
in the Israeli presidential meeting despite Israel’s continuous
violation of international law and human rights abuse which
include land theft and murder of civilians – all of which are
widely documented and are near-daily occurences ?
Best regards,
Joey.
___________________________
Jimmy Wales. Monday 20th of June, 2011. At 7:20
What’s your point?
___________________________
Joey H. Ayoub. Monday 20th of June, 2011. At 7:41
I thought it was obvious. I was wondering how you could stand in
the same room with people who are committing theft and mass
murder on innocent civilians, most of which are guilty of
pacifism and simply existing. Countless activists and men and
women who care about humanity are doing their best to stop what
is being inflicted upon the Palestinians because they can see
the inhumanity of the situation. To simply do nothing and shake
blood-soaked hands and ignore the whole thing is akin to those
who didn’t care about the injustice inflicted upon black South
Africans during the Apartheid era. The world is sick of
Apartheid and doesn’t want to take part in it, despite how
powerful the oppressors are. And we are asking you to join us.
___________________________
Jimmy Wales. Monday 20th of June, 2011. At 9:42
How about those rockets? Complaining any about those?
___________________________
Joey H. Ayoub. Monday 20th of June, 2011. At 10:31
You’re still deflecting sir. Yes, actually I am complaining
about those. I’m kind of disappointed to be honest. I’d have
thought the founder of Wikipedia wouldn’t use common apologist
answers.
The rockets have been condemned as far as I’m aware by the
international community, with a few idiotic exceptions as usual.
It still doesn’t justify anything. Israel is the oppressor and
the Palestinians are the oppressed. Complaining about rockets
when Israel has tanks, missiles, chemical weapons, a navy,
aircraft and nuclear weapons is like complaining that they
actually dare to fight back and would not just die and rid us of
their existence.
How many Israelis have died in, for example, the Gaza ‘War’?
You can help yourself with a nice Wikipedia article for the
answer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war
The answer is 13; 3 civilians and 4 soldiers by friendly fire.
In other words, 3 murders (which must be, and have been,
condemned)
How many Palestinian civilians? around 1400.
In other words, 1400 murders in 3 weeks.
4000 homes destroyed and over 50,000 civilians displaced from
their homes.
The Gaza blockade is illegal, inhuman and disgusting and is
making the lives of Palestinians a living hell comparable to
those of the Jews who lived in the Nazi ghettos. A good
description of the situation can be given by the ISM activist
Rachel Corrie who also has a Wikipedia article and who was
killed 8 years ago by an IDF bulldozer.
“What I’m witnessing here is a very systematic destruction of a
people’s ability to survive”
I get reports, sir, and testimonies of what is going on in
Palestine, especially in Gaza, on a daily basis, from activists
and locals. I get to wake up in my comfortable bed, have a
lovely breakfast and then read or watch what happened the day
before, hoping that someone I know didn’t die. Two did.
I urge you to learn about the facts and look at the evidence
because if there is anything that we can learn from history,
it’s that the horrors committed by anyone will eventually be
revealed to the whole public; the propaganda will not last
eternally. It is becoming increasingly difficult to defend
Israel without resorting to some sort of racist and fascist
arguments that portray Palestinians as being dirty and evil by
nature and therefore OK to destroy.
Palestinians are being murdered on a daily basis. The rate of
Israeli civilians killed to Palestinian civilians killed is
around 1-100 at the very least. That’s what we call a massacre,
sir.
I’m guessing it’s bad for business to speak out for the
voiceless. They don’t have money, they don’t even have houses so
I guess they can’t ask for your support. I also know that
Wikimania 2011 is happening in Haifa – the place where my
grandmother was born – which might be the reason why you keep on
answering with pointless sentences and questions.
I don’t even know if you’re actually aware of the situation or
if you just deny it for profit. Either way, as someone who uses
Wikipedia on a daily basis, I have to say that I’m disappointed
that propaganda or pseudo-knowledge has triumphed, in your case,
ironically, over knowledge.
The reason I’m asking you to not participate in the Israeli
Presidential Conference is not out of hatred for Israel or
Israelis. Many of the activists I mentioned are Jewish Israelis
after all. The reason, which should be obvious, is that the
people whom you will meet and, by saying nothing, will approve
of their actions are responsible for war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide. You will be remembered as someone who did
collaborate with Apartheid.
Best regards,
Joey
___________________________
When I later checked my inbox, I found out that he blocked me.
Mr. Wales will be the last speaker at the Israeli Presidential
Conference on the 21st of June (today) afternoon in the presence
of Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu. Other speakers include
Tony Blair and Henry Kissinger.
“Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is
given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That’s what
we’re doing.” – Jimmy Wales
Update 26/03/2012:
I was asked to provide a screen shot of the actual discussion
and here it is. He can be found on Facebook with ‘Wikia’ as his
network.
