Rothman proposes bill to change all mentions of ‘West Bank’ in Israeli Law to ‘Judea and Samaria’

The name of the area in question is a point of contention both internationally and within Israel, and it is called different names in differing institutions.

By ELIAV BREUER DECEMBER 9, 2024 16:49 Updated: DECEMBER 9, 2024 17:00

MK Simcha Rothman, December 9, 2024. (photo credit: MK SIMCHA ROTHMAN'S OFFICE)

MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party) proposed a bill on Monday, according to which in all Israeli legislation, the term “West Bank,” indicating the area to the West of the Jordan River captured from Jordan during the Six-Day-War, will be replaced with the region’s biblical name, “Judea and Samaria.”

According to the bill’s preamble, “Judea and Samaria are inseparable parts of the historic homeland of the Jewish people. The most seminal events in our history took place in these areas, where our forefathers, prophets, sages, and kings established their capital and kingdoms. In contrast, the term ‘West Bank,’ which originated during a period of foreign rule, reflects a colonialist perspective that disregards the deep historical connection of the Jewish people to its land.”

According to the preamble, the bill “seeks to regulate the use of the term ‘Judea and Samaria’ in Israeli legislation, replacing other terms that refer to the same geographic area. This change aligns with the broader trend of strengthening Israel's connection to the region and preserving the historical rights of the Jewish people.”

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats to American security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 11, 2024. (credit: Julia Nikhinson/Reuters)

Copying the US

The proposal came days after Senator Tom Cotton (R- Arkansas) made a similar proposal in the US Senate that would require all official US documents and materials to use the term “Judea and Samaria” instead of the “West Bank”.

Rothman said in a statement, “Replacing the term 'West Bank' with 'Judea and Samaria' will reflect the legislature's recognition of the Jewish people's historical right to the land and correct a historical distortion. We must avoid using language that serves the enemy and creates a false narrative. Therefore, the significance of this change is immense. I also congratulate Senator Tom Cotton, who has worked for this important historical accuracy in the United States, and on this occasion, I call on other countries to follow suit. Am Yisrael Chai! The people of Israel live— in Judea and Samaria as well.”

The name of the area in question is a point of contention both internationally and within Israel, and it is called different names in differing institutions. UN documents and resolutions call the area Occupied Palestinian Territory, or oPt for short; and, in addition to “West Bank” and “Judea and Samaria,” in many pieces of Israeli legislation it is referred to simply as “the area”.