Investigation Reveals Hamas-Linked Islamic Center Used Wikipedia to Push Propaganda

A new investigation has uncovered that the Hamas-funded Dar Al-Salam Center in Kafr Qara has allegedly used Wikipedia as a platform to promote Islamic proselytism and influence Israeli public opinion under the guise of moderation.

According to a Wednesday report by Hakol Hayehudi, the center received substantial financial backing from Zakat Al-Quds Foundation; an organization tied to Hamas and accused in a 2022 indictment of serving as the terror group’s financial arm in Jerusalem, as well as from Muslim Hands, a group previously banned for Hamas affiliations.

The investigation also revealed that Dar Al-Salam conducted courses for prospective converts in Turkey, where participants were taught to carry out “dawah” (Islamic missionary work) toward Jews using methods developed by some of the world’s most prominent antisemites.

Records show that in 2018, members of the center participated in three workshops hosted by Wikimedia Israel at their Kafr Qara facility. During these sessions, participants reportedly created 42 new Wikipedia entries on Islamic topics and edited more than 100 additional articles.

The Wikipedia course page paints a benign picture of the center’s work. It describes Dar Al-Salam as “a center for understanding the religion of Islam, for Muslims and members of other religions… [with] the purpose to teach the scriptures of Islam and its true principles, according to the understanding of the local people, which include: tolerance, moderation, openness, modest and spiritual living… [and] mutual acquaintance among the various cultures living in Israel, to promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect for each other’s culture.”

However, documents obtained by the investigation suggest a far more strategic approach. In correspondence with Ali Arbash, head of Turkey’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, the center explicitly defines its activities as “electronic dawah.” The letter, which sought support for opening a dawah center in Jerusalem’s Old City, states:

“Electronic dawah via Facebook and Hebrew Wikipedia: Praise and thanks to God, a contract was signed with the Israeli Wikipedia in Hebrew to add and edit content on Islam in this encyclopedia, which serves as the main source of information on Islam in Hebrew. 58 new entries were added, and 500 entries were edited. The views of the new and edited entries exceed 82,000.”

The investigation raises questions about the use of Wikipedia as a platform for ideological influence. Wikimedia Israel responded, in a statement provided to Arutz 7 on Wednesday, by emphasizing that while it has hosted editing workshops for various groups, “the training activities of the organization are entirely separate from Wikipedia’s content control mechanisms: every article is reviewed by the editing community according to uniform standards, regardless of whether the writer is a volunteer or a graduate of the organization’s training. The organization’s training has no effect on editorial judgment or preferential treatment in the community.”

Still, the investigation paints a clear picture: Hamas-linked organizations are finding ways to leverage educational platforms and online tools to spread ideology, potentially shaping narratives for Hebrew-speaking audiences under the guise of cultural and religious education.