The Hasbara Fellowship program is a project of the Israeli Foreign Ministry which "educates and trains university students to be effective pro-Israel activists". The program essentially pays people to engage in promoting Israel's point of view online.
Hasbara has said the following about wikipedia:
http://www.israelactivism.com/index.php?mode=newsletter#article11 http://www.israelactivism.com/index.php?mode=newsletter#article11
Everyone knows about Wikipedia, a place to go to get the 'real' scoop. How often do you use Wikipedia to look up subjects you know little about? Now imagine how often other people use Wikipedia to look up subjects related to Israel.
Wikipedia is not an objective resource but rather an online encyclopedia that any one can edit. The result is a website that is in large part is controlled by 'intellectuals' who seek re-write the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. These authors have systematically yet subtly rewritten key passages of thousands of Wikipedia entries to portray Israel in a negative light.
You have the opportunity to stop this dangerous trend! If you are interested in joining a team of Wikipedians to make sure Israel is presented fairly and accurately, please contact director@israelactivism.com for details! -------
This looks like a concerted and funded effort to push a particular political POV on wikipedia. If there is a "team" of people paid to edit Israel related articles in a POV fashion shouldn't they be required to declare their Conflict of Interest? Should employees or other individuals paid by Aish HaTorah, which runs the Hasbara Fellowships program on behalf of and with funding by Israel's Foreign Ministry, have to declare their COI if they edit Israel related articles?
Wikipedia is not an objective resource but rather an online encyclopedia that any one can edit. The result is a website that is in large part is controlled by 'intellectuals' who seek re-write the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. These authors have systematically yet subtly rewritten key passages of thousands of Wikipedia entries to portray Israel in a negative light.
How's that for arrogance? How many of the "intellectuals" that "control" Wikipedia really give a damn about the Arab-Israeli conflict (enough to spread propaganda, anyway)? And thousands of articles? I very much doubt there are that many articles on Israel...
This looks like a concerted and funded effort to push a particular political POV on wikipedia. If there is a "team" of people paid to edit Israel related articles in a POV fashion shouldn't they be required to declare their Conflict of Interest? Should employees or other individuals paid by Aish HaTorah, which runs the Hasbara Fellowships program on behalf of and with funding by Israel's Foreign Ministry, have to declare their COI if they edit Israel related articles?
I think there are enough Wikipedians watching Israel related articles to stop any such foul play. However, someone should probably email that address and explain the correct way to go about correcting a perceived bias on Wikipedia.
Could you define "foreign government" here? All governments are foreign to some Wikipedians.
I have to admit I couldn't make a lot of sense of the post.