U.S. Lawmakers Debate Terminology Amid Annexation Push

A Shift in Terminology

The return of Donald Trump to the presidency has emboldened right-wing lawmakers in both Israel and the United States who support the annexation of the West Bank. This occupied territory has long been viewed by Palestinians and the international community as part of a future Palestinian state.

In a recent move, Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced bills that would prohibit the use of the term "West Bank" in official U.S. government documents and materials. Instead, they propose replacing it with "Judea and Samaria," the biblical names for the region. This terminology is widely used in Israel and serves as the administrative name used by the state to describe the area.

This linguistic shift is seen as an attempt to bolster and legitimize Israel's historical claim to the territory, which it captured from Jordan during the 1967 war and has occupied militarily ever since. The proposal comes amidst intensified Israeli military raids in the area, justified as efforts to combat terrorism.

Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, expressed support for the legislation, stating that the Jewish people's legal and historical rights to Judea and Samaria stretch back thousands of years. He urged the United States to abandon the "politically charged term West Bank." However, opponents of annexation argue that the term Judea and Samaria itself reflects a political agenda.