Netscape has acknowledged anti-Israel bias in its massive Web cataloguing service and has taken several steps to correct the situation, including dismissing the volunteer editor Netscape says was responsible.Examples of bias:
. . . the directory contained a link to "Jewish Hate Groups," including Kach and Kahane Chai, but did not contain a corresponding category for Islamic extremists, nor any sites describing antisemitism among Muslims . . . a search of the term "Palestinian extremist" produced a list dominated by Jewish extremist organizations. . . . a Web site, listed fourth under a sub-category for "Suicide Bombing," written by a Muslim organization justifying the use of suicide bombers. . . . under a heading for "Background and History" of the "Israel-Palestine" conflict, 52 sites are listed; 27 are from a Palestinian perspective, 19 are from United Nations or newspaper sources, and only five from pro-Israel or Jewish sources. Of these five, four represent Israel's peace camp. Similarly, of the 32 sites listed under "Organizations" pertaining to the conflict, only nine are under Jewish or pro-Israel auspices.It's humbling what one dedicated volunteer can do to influence an issue before anyone catches on. I shudder to think how many years these links have been up.
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