Republican Congresswoman Pushes To Rename West Bank, Trump Backs Initiative
Rep. Claudia Tenney, who led efforts earlier this year to introduce the ‘Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act,’ confirmed last week that she plans to revive the legislation
A bill aiming to redefine the language used to describe the disputed territories between Israel and Jordan will be reintroduced in the US Congress this month. Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), who led efforts earlier this year to introduce the “Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act,” confirmed last week that she plans to revive the legislation.
The proposed bill seeks to officially refer to the area commonly known as the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria.” Tenney also revealed that US President Donald Trump has pledged his support, bolstering the bill’s chances of advancement.
“We need to make sure that we don’t allow the language, the tradition, the history of Israel, to be weaponized by terms like ‘West Bank,’” Tenney told a room of hundreds last week at the re-launch party of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus.
The proposed legislation mandates that all official documents referring to the region currently known as the West Bank instead use the term “Judea and Samaria.”
Senator Tom Cotton will also reintroduce a parallel bill in the Senate.
“President Trump has said this is going to be a very priority task for him to get this done,” Tenney said. “It’s the beginning of us shifting the language, and what we’re doing and making sure that we always protect the historical homeland of the Jews, and that is in Israel, and Israel includes Judea and Samaria.”
Jordan, which controlled the area from 1949 to 1967, introduced the term “West Bank” as a geographical designation; the area was named for its location west of the Jordan River.
However, the region—historically known as Judea and Samaria—has been central to the identity and heritage of the Jewish people for thousands of years.
After Israel regained control of the territory in 1967, it was officially known as the Judea and Samaria region, which aligns with the names of the biblical kingdoms of Judea and Samaria. Despite this historical connection, many governments worldwide continue to use the term West Bank.
“Calling it Judea and Samaria ignores the basic reality of 3.5 million people who are not Jews and living in the West Bank,” said Middle East analyst Gershon Baskin, who is in opposition to the proposed bill. “That reality does not change with linguistics.”
Calling it Judea and Samaria ignores the basic reality of 3.5 million people who are not Jews and living in the West Bank. That reality does not change with linguistics.
Elias Baboun, peace initiator of the Palestine Land Peace Plan and a resident of Bethlehem, said changing the name to Judea and Samaria is not the main issue.
“What truly matters is achieving justice and equality for all the people in the region,” he told The Media Line. “The name may have historical and symbolic significance, but it remains a secondary matter compared to the larger issue of equal rights.”
Supporters of Israel argue that the “West Bank” terminology seeks to delegitimize Israel’s presence in the region.
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What truly matters is achieving justice and equality for all the people in the region. The name may have historical and symbolic significance, but it remains a secondary matter compared to the larger issue of equal rights.
“The Israeli people have an undeniable and indisputable historical and legal claim over Judea and Samaria, and at this critical moment in history, the United States must reaffirm this,” Rep. Tenney said in a statement in May, shortly after she initially introduced the legislation. “This bill reaffirms Israel’s rightful claim to its territory. I remain committed to defending the integrity of the Jewish state and fully supporting Israel’s sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”
Senator Cotton echoed this sentiment in December when he first introduced the bill.
“The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria go back thousands of years,” Cotton said. “The US should stop using the politically charged term ‘West Bank’ to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.”
People still use terms like West Bank, like it’s nowhere, and it’s not part of the State of Israel. … We want it to be called ‘Judea and Samaria.’ We also want to apply Israeli sovereignty over this ancient, historical Jewish place.
According to Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, “People still use terms like West Bank, like it’s nowhere, and it’s not part of the State of Israel.” He told The Media Line that using a term like “West Bank” causes people to “forget this is the biblical land. We want it to be called ‘Judea and Samaria.’ We also want to apply Israeli sovereignty over this ancient, historical Jewish place.”
Noor Dahri, executive director of the UK-based Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism think tank, seconded Ganz’s sentiments. He told The Media Line that if the legislation moves forward, “it would be another milestone after moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. The original name of the area is Judea and Samaria, which was later turned into the West Bank, which I believe was a direct attack on Jewish history.”
He called the term West Bank “a successful act to erase the Jewish geographical evidence” and a “form of antisemitism.”
Even Baboun admitted that “Jews face significant challenges in freely practicing their religious rituals at holy sites in areas under Palestinian control.” He emphasized that access to Jewish religious sites like the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron is highly restricted for Jews.
“These restrictions contrast with the rights that Palestinians enjoy at the same sites,” Baboun added.
Earlier this month, Rep. Tenney spearheaded the launch of the Congressional Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus. Alongside advocating for the name change, the caucus supports Israeli annexation of the territories Israel gained during the Six-Day War in 1967.
To date, Israel has refrained from annexing the area for various reasons, and it largely remains under military administration. Currently, Jews predominantly reside in what is designated as Area C, while Palestinians live under Palestinian Authority rule in Areas A and B, as well as under Israeli military rule in Area C.
While proponents of annexation argue that the region is integral to Israel’s historical and biblical heritage, the international community largely views Israel’s policies in the West Bank as a violation of international law. The International Court of Justice in July 2024 issued an advisory opinion declaring that Israel’s continued presence in the Palestinian territories is illegal under international law. The nonbinding ruling cited violations of the prohibition on acquiring territory by force and the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people.
The court’s findings expand on its 2004 advisory opinion, which deemed the construction of Israel’s separation barrier in the territories a form of de facto annexation. The countries that back this assessment maintain that most of the West Bank should form part of a future Palestinian state.
However, the Trump administration previously recognized the territory as disputed and stated that for Israelis to live there was not illegal under international law.
The Yesha Council, a leadership body in the West Bank, is counting on President Trump’s support for Israel’s annexation of the area.
After years of the [Biden] administration being against the Jews living in Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland, to come back here to the inauguration of President Trump with a team of people that believe in the biblical heartland is truly a blessing
International spokeswoman Eliana Passentin told The Media Line: “After years of the [Biden] administration being against the Jews living in Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland, to come back here to the inauguration of President Trump with a team of people that believe in the biblical heartland is truly a blessing.”
The night before Trump’s inauguration, the Yesha Council organized a rally in Times Square. Electric billboards displayed messages praising the former and future president, and Israelis marched through the streets waving Israeli flags in celebration.
“We are excited,” Passentin said. “We are grateful for everything President Trump has done in the past for Israel, everything he’s doing in the present, and everything that he will do in the future.”
The push to adopt the term “Judea and Samaria” is not without precedent.
In February 2024, Troy Miller, president and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), endorsed a resolution calling for the rejection of the term “West Bank” and the adoption of “Judea and Samaria” instead.
The resolution, prepared collaboratively by Israel365, The Israel Guys, and the Israel Allies Foundation, was endorsed during the annual NRB convention. It argued that the West Bank represents the biblical heartland of Israel, including historically significant sites like Hebron, Bethel, Shiloh, and Shechem, and fulfill scriptural prophecies of Jewish exile and return.
The resolution emphasized the West Bank’s strategic importance, noting that the Samaritan mountains provide critical oversight of Israel’s coastal cities, including Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion International Airport. It also highlighted the positive impact of the Jewish presence in the area, pointing to economic opportunities for Palestinians created by Israeli investment and jobs.
The NRB, with over 1,100 member organizations, reaches millions of viewers, listeners, and readers. As such, this shift in language can potentially influence the narrative both in the short and long term.
