Editorial policy: evidence, attribution and independence

Wars of Israel aims to explain events accurately and make the basis of an account clear. A readable narrative must not conceal disagreement, turn a party's statement into a verified fact or suggest that later knowledge was available to people at the time.

Choosing and examining sources

We prioritize primary documents, archives, official inquiries and substantive historical scholarship. Institutional histories and credible reporting can supply context and evidence, with their perspective and limitations identified where material. Multiple websites repeating one account do not provide independent confirmation. An inaccessible original must not be described as directly inspected. References should support the actual claim, not merely concern the same subject.

Facts, claims and interpretation

Established facts are distinguished from claims attributed to a named party, estimates, contested accounts and analysis. When historians disagree, the article explains the relevant positions and their evidential basis. Interpretation is identified as reasoning. Biblical narratives, later traditions and archaeological findings are treated as distinct kinds of material. Missing evidence is not filled with an invented quotation or a confident reconstruction.

Figures, dates and sensitive events

Casualty figures name their source and define the period or category when that affects their meaning. Different counts are not added or averaged without justification. Dates are no more precise than the evidence permits. Accounts of massacres, attacks on civilians and other sensitive events apply the same standard regardless of the perpetrators. They avoid graphic detail, dehumanizing language and celebration of killing. Names and military organizations are identified precisely; disputed responsibility remains attributed.

News and analysis

News developments require two independent reliable sources, or an official statement reported as such. The latter confirms that a statement was made, not necessarily the truth of every allegation in it. Reports use absolute dates and make their reporting period clear. Analysis examines implications but does not present a forecast or an assessment as an observed result. Later developments and material corrections require a real update to the article.

Images and maps

Illustrations are labeled so that they cannot be mistaken for archival evidence. Archival photographs require an identified source and verified reuse terms; they are not retouched, colorized or enhanced with artificial intelligence. Captions describe what is shown. Maps distinguish present-day base boundaries from separately sourced historical boundaries, and approximate places from exact sites.

Production, independence and corrections

AI tools may assist research organization, drafting, translation and illustration. Their output is not a source and does not establish a fact. Source checking and comparison of the Hebrew and English editions remain necessary before publication; we do not claim that a named historian reviewed an article unless that actually occurred.

The publication is independent of governments and armed forces. Partner content carries its own label and is separate from editorial coverage. Report a possible error to [email protected], with the relevant page and evidence, following the corrections policy.