Wikipedia and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

In 2014, [[Euronews]] reported that the Hebrew and Arabic articles on the [[2014 Gaza war]] presented drastically different photographic narratives, with the English article having more balance in its depiction.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gayle |first1=Everton |title=The bigger picture: Wikipedia's versions of the Gaza conflict |url=https://www.euronews.com/2014/08/07/seeing-the-big-picture-of-the-gaza-israeli-conflict |access-date=18 May 2025 |work=[[Euronews]] |date=7 August 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2014, [[Euronews]] reported that the Hebrew and Arabic articles on the [[2014 Gaza war]] presented drastically different photographic narratives, with the English article having more balance in its depiction.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gayle |first1=Everton |title=The bigger picture: Wikipedia's versions of the Gaza conflict |url=https://www.euronews.com/2014/08/07/seeing-the-big-picture-of-the-gaza-israeli-conflict |access-date=18 May 2025 |work=[[Euronews]] |date=7 August 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

In December 2017, after U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] announced that the U.S. would [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital]], Wikipedia followed suit, sparking debate among editors. At that time, the English and [[Hebrew Wikipedia]] articles said that [[Jerusalem]] was Israel's capital, while the [[Arabic Wikipedia]] article said that Israel claimed it as its capital, but it was in occupied Palestine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Benjakob |first=Omer |date=7 December 2017 |title=After Trump Move, Jerusalem Battle Now Plays Out on Wikipedia |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-12-07/ty-article/.premium/after-trump-move-jerusalem-battle-rages-on-wikipedia/0000017f-f7a4-d47e-a37f-ffbc28410000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240110143232/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-12-07/ty-article/.premium/after-trump-move-jerusalem-battle-rages-on-wikipedia/0000017f-f7a4-d47e-a37f-ffbc28410000 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=[[Haaretz]] |language=en}}</ref> In the same month, an [[edit war]] broke out between "pro-Israel" and "pro-Palestine" editors over the inclusion of allegations that [[Palestinian-American]] activist [[Linda Sarsour]] had rejected [[sexual harassment]] accusations in her article; Benjakob commented, "Though it is common for political disputes to play out on Wikipedia – for example, pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian editors fighting over contentious topics like [[Status of Jerusalem|Jerusalem's status]] – Sarsour's case highlights how the Israel-Palestine issue can sometimes trump other important ones."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2017-12-28/ty-article/.premium/pro-palestinian-wikipedia-editors-shielding-sarsour-over-harassment-claims/0000017f-f5e1-d318-afff-f7e369a00000|title=Sex, Lies and Wikipedia: Pro-Palestinian Editors Accused of Protecting Linda Sarsour Over Harassment Claims|last=Benjakob|first=Omer|date=Dec 28, 2017|work=Haaretz}}</ref>

In December 2017, after U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] announced that the U.S. would [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital]], Wikipedia followed suit, sparking debate among editors. At that time, the English and [[Hebrew Wikipedia]] articles said that [[Jerusalem]] was Israel's capital, while the [[Arabic Wikipedia]] article said that Israel claimed it as its capital, but it was in occupied Palestine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Benjakob |first=Omer |date=7 December 2017 |title=After Trump Move, Jerusalem Battle Now Plays Out on Wikipedia |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-12-07/ty-article/.premium/after-trump-move-jerusalem-battle-rages-on-wikipedia/0000017f-f7a4-d47e-a37f-ffbc28410000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240110143232/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-12-07/ty-article/.premium/after-trump-move-jerusalem-battle-rages-on-wikipedia/0000017f-f7a4-d47e-a37f-ffbc28410000 |archive-date=10 January 2024 |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=[[Haaretz]] |language=en}}</ref> The same month, an [[edit war]] broke out between "pro-Israel" and "pro-Palestine" editors over the inclusion of allegations that [[Palestinian-American]] activist [[Linda Sarsour]] had rejected [[sexual harassment]] accusations in her article; Benjakob commented, "Though it is common for political disputes to play out on Wikipedia – for example, pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian editors fighting over contentious topics like [[Status of Jerusalem|Jerusalem's status]] – Sarsour's case highlights how the Israel-Palestine issue can sometimes trump other important ones."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2017-12-28/ty-article/.premium/pro-palestinian-wikipedia-editors-shielding-sarsour-over-harassment-claims/0000017f-f5e1-d318-afff-f7e369a00000|title=Sex, Lies and Wikipedia: Pro-Palestinian Editors Accused of Protecting Linda Sarsour Over Harassment Claims|last=Benjakob|first=Omer|date=Dec 28, 2017|work=Haaretz}}</ref>

In November 2020, ''Haaretz'' reported that the "[[West Bank bantustans]]" article comparing Israel's control of the West Bank to the Black-only enclaves in [[apartheid]]-era South Africa indicated a possible shift for Wikipedia's consensus on [[Israel and apartheid|likening Israel to an apartheid regime]]. Editors said that the article's having survived a deletion proposal indicated that events such as the [[2020 Trump Israel–Palestine plan|Trump peace plan]] and [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]'s [[Proposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank|pledge to annex]] parts of the [[West Bank]] undermined Israel's talking point that it supported a [[two-state solution]] and strove to establish a [[Palestinian state]].<ref name="Benjakob-2020b">{{Cite news |last=Benjakob |first=Omer |date=29 November 2020 |title=On Wikipedia, Israel is losing the battle against the word 'apartheid' |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-11-29/ty-article/.premium/on-wikipedia-israel-is-losing-the-battle-against-the-word-apartheid/0000017f-f210-df98-a5ff-f3bd5dc30000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220915094602/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-11-29/ty-article/.premium/on-wikipedia-israel-is-losing-the-battle-against-the-word-apartheid/0000017f-f210-df98-a5ff-f3bd5dc30000 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=[[Haaretz]] |language=en}}</ref>

In November 2020, ''Haaretz'' reported that the "[[West Bank bantustans]]" article comparing Israel's control of the West Bank to the Black-only enclaves in [[apartheid]]-era South Africa indicated a possible shift for Wikipedia's consensus on [[Israel and apartheid|likening Israel to an apartheid regime]]. Editors said that the article's having survived a deletion proposal indicated that events such as the [[2020 Trump Israel–Palestine plan|Trump peace plan]] and [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]'s [[Proposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank|pledge to annex]] parts of the [[West Bank]] undermined Israel's talking point that it supported a [[two-state solution]] and strove to establish a [[Palestinian state]].<ref name="Benjakob-2020b">{{Cite news |last=Benjakob |first=Omer |date=29 November 2020 |title=On Wikipedia, Israel is losing the battle against the word 'apartheid' |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-11-29/ty-article/.premium/on-wikipedia-israel-is-losing-the-battle-against-the-word-apartheid/0000017f-f210-df98-a5ff-f3bd5dc30000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220915094602/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-11-29/ty-article/.premium/on-wikipedia-israel-is-losing-the-battle-against-the-word-apartheid/0000017f-f210-df98-a5ff-f3bd5dc30000 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=[[Haaretz]] |language=en}}</ref>