The global editors of Wikipedia have officially renamed the entry"Allegations of genocide in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza" to "Gaza genocide." This change followed a vote after months of debate, and the editors now consider this a settled fact.
Supporters of the new title argue that there is a broad consensus in academia on the matter, citing academic articles by Holocaust historians, genocide scholars, human rights professors and legal and political experts.
Prominent among these experts is Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories, a figure both the U.S. and Israel have requested be removed from her position. Her statements are frequently cited in the entry.
International organizations and news sites used as sources, such as Turkey's Anadolu Agency, are known for their anti-Zionist bent. The entry also references texts by journalist Gideon Levy, philosopher Ilan Pappé and Ynet. The casualty figures are sourced from Gaza's Health Ministry.
"Various observers, including UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, have cited statements by Israeli officials that may indicate an 'intent to destroy' Gaza's population, a necessary condition for meeting the legal threshold of genocide," the entry states.
Most U.S.-based Middle East scholars believe Israel's actions in Gaza aim to render it uninhabitable for Palestinians, with 75% saying Israel's actions in Gaza constitute "major war crimes akin to genocide" or "genocide."
Statements from government officials as evidence
The entry also features statements from Israeli government members like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, MK Tally Gotliv and President Isaac Herzog to support claims of "genocide." It notes that on October 7, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Gaza residents would pay a "heavy price" and that Israel would turn parts of Gaza into ruins.
Genocide scholar Marc Levine has highlighted the increasing rhetoric of genocide and ethnic cleansing under previous Netanyahu governments, supported by AP News reporter Tia Goldenberg, who emphasized Smotrich's statements as part of the growing genocide rhetoric under Netanyahu's administration. Netanyahu's reference to Palestinians as "Amalek" is frequently mentioned to support claims of justifying the killing of Palestinians.
The extensive entry is divided into subtopics analyzing the issue from various angles—academic, legal and cultural discourse on genocide, legal and anthropological definitions, statements from politicians in Israel and abroad, the legal process at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and Israel's actions on both local and international fronts. A significant portion is dedicated to American cooperation, particularly President Joe Biden's, with the "genocide." It also highlights Republican lawmakers, like Max Miller, a former aide to Donald Trump, who said Gaza would become a "parking lot."
Criticism from progressive "Squad" members against White House policy, such as Jewish Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Rashida Tlaib, is included. Climate activist Greta Thunberg, rapper Macklemore and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai are also quoted: "When we see alarming signs of genocide, we cannot wait to take decisive action. We must work together to urge our leaders to stop these war crimes and hold the perpetrators accountable," Yousafzai said last April.
Editors who supported the "Gaza genocide" title claimed that reliable sources show an academic consensus on the subject, citing quotes from studies in the Journal of Genocide Research, a Holocaust historian who says there is broad agreement among genocide scholars, and a human rights professor who asserts there is also a legal consensus.
They also cited a Brookings Institution survey showing that one-third of Middle East researchers view Israel's military actions in Gaza as "genocide," and 41% see them as "serious war crimes akin to genocide." They argued that this title is most common among reliable sources and cited other Wikipedia entries like "Extraterrestrial life," where the title doesn't necessarily indicate a fact.
Conversely, editors opposed to the title argued that "Gaza genocide" violates Wikipedia's policy on neutral titles and reflects a bias against Israel. They pointed out that other contentious topics on Wikipedia explicitly indicate such disputes and suggested adding terms like "allegations" to better reflect the debate. They accused Wikipedia of a double standard, citing entries like "Allegations of genocide in the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel," which still use the term "allegations." They argued that enough scholars oppose the genocide claims to prevent changing the title to "Gaza genocide." One editor claimed the entry "waves anti-Israel flags" and uses unreliable sources for its statistics.
After the vote, the deciding editor, Joe Roe, noted a loose consensus for changing the title to "Gaza genocide." Since the war began, Wikipedia has become a battleground for information warfare, with significant power struggles between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli editors. According to Israeli editors, many entries are written from anti-Israel perspectives by editors using the platform to echo Palestinian messages.