Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales faces backlash after halting edits on the “Gaza genocide” page, accused of whitewashing war crimes and undermining neutrality amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
November 4, 2025 | Palestine – Pal Plus News
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has come under fire after personally intervening to block edits on the platform’s “Gaza genocide” article, claiming violations of Wikipedia’s Neutral Point of View (NPOV) policy. The move has triggered accusations of censorship and bias favoring ‘Israel’ amid global outrage over the war in Gaza.
Wales described the article as “egregious” for presenting the genocide allegations against ‘Israel’ as factual rather than contested, insisting on a revised introduction that states:
“Multiple governments, NGOs, and legal bodies have described or rejected the characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.”
He emphasized that neutrality on Wikipedia is “non-negotiable,” while placing the page under extended protection, effectively blocking public edits.
Criticism and Accusations of Bias
The decision has sparked widespread criticism from editors, human rights advocates, and pro-Palestine activists who accuse Wales of enforcing false balance and downplaying credible evidence of war crimes.
Several editors cited findings from the United Nations, human rights organizations, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) indicating a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza.
Critics argue that Wales’s intervention undermines Wikipedia’s collaborative nature and could distort public understanding of the conflict by appeasing pro-Israel narratives.
As of early November, UN estimates place Gaza’s death toll at over 71,000 direct deaths and potentially 465,000 including indirect casualties, as infrastructure collapse, hunger, and disease worsen.
Wikipedia’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been under scrutiny, with recurring edit wars, accusations of external interference, and disputes over biased moderation.
Wales has denied any outside pressure, stating his actions were solely in defense of Wikipedia’s editorial standards.
