Senator Cotton introduces bill to mandate federal use of Judea and Samaria

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has introduced the “RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act,” a bill seeking to prohibit federal government use of the term “West Bank” in favor of “Judea and Samaria.” The bill reflects terminology preferred by Israel to describe the region captured from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War.

“The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria go back thousands of years,” Cotton stated. “The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term ‘West Bank’ to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.” He further described the term “West Bank” as a concession to anti-Israel propaganda and a misrepresentation of historical truth.

The legislation would restrict government funds from being used to refer to the area as the “West Bank,” except in the context of international treaties and agreements.

The Kingdom of Jordan introduced the term after the 1948 Israeli War of Independence to describe territory it controlled west of the Jordan River. Since Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War, the region has been governed as Judea and Samaria, with Israel annexing eastern Jerusalem into the unified Jerusalem District.

The use of “West Bank” versus “Judea and Samaria” often serves as a litmus test for Palestinian and Israeli territorial claims. It has also become a partisan issue in the United States, with many Republicans adopting “Judea and Samaria” and most Democrats favoring the term “West Bank.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who served under the Trump administration, applauded Cotton’s initiative. “Thank you, Tom Cotton, for standing with Israel, recognizing its biblical heritage, and supporting one Jewish state,” Friedman wrote.

Co-sponsors of the House version of the bill, introduced earlier this year by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), also celebrated the Senate’s introduction of the legislation. “Words matter,” said Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.). “It’s not ‘the West Bank.’ It’s ‘Judea and Samaria.’”

The bill reaffirms Israel’s sovereignty over the region and emphasizes its historical and legal ties. “This legislation sends a clear message of support for Israel’s rightful claims to its territory,” Tenney noted, underscoring her commitment to defending the Jewish state.

If passed, the legislation would mark a significant shift in U.S. policy language, aligning it more closely with Israel’s historical narrative and bolstering its claims to the contested region.

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