GOP House Foreign Affairs staffers Told to say Judea & Samaria instead of ‘West Bank’

(February 26, 2025 / Israel National News) House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) has instructed the committee’s Republican staffers to refer to Judea and Samaria by their historical names rather than as the “West Bank,” Axios correspondent Barak Ravid reported.

Mast wrote to the committee’s staffers, “In recognition of our unbreakable bond with Israel and the inherent right of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will, from here forward, refer to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria in formal correspondence, communication. and documentation.”

He noted that “Jewish roots in this region span centuries” and that it was time for the U.S. to “recognize Israel’s rightful claim to the cradle of Jewish civilization.”

Mast’s memo only applies to Republican staffers, not Democratic staffers.

The term “West Bank” was first applied to Judea and Samaria by Jordan after that country illegally occupied the territory and ethnically cleansed the region of Jews during the 1948 war. The name was meant to signify that Judea and Samaria had become part of Jordan, which controlled both banks of the Jordan River. The term has remained in use even decades after Jordan renounced all claims to Judea and Samaria as world leaders and international organizations have refused to acknowledge the Jewish history of Judea and Samaria or the right of Jews to live in those territories where they previously lived for millennia.

A growing number of Republican officials and lawmakers have advocated for using the Biblical and historical name for the territory, Judea and Samaria, in place of the more recent “West Bank.” Many of these officials also support the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that his administration has not decided whether it supports such an application of Israeli sovereignty. However, an official announcement on the issue is expected in the coming weeks.

In December, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced legislation on Thursday that would require all official U.S. documents and materials to use the historically accurate term “Judea and Samaria” instead of the “West Bank.”

According to the Senator, the bill, titled the Retiring the Egregious Confusion Over the Genuine Name of Israel’s Zone of Influence by Necessitating Government-use of Judea and Samaria (RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria) Act, would require the use of historically accurate terminology and align U.S. policy language with the geographical and cultural significance of the region.

The legislation was also introduced in the House by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY).

“The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria go back thousands of years. The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel,” said Senator Cotton.

“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,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “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.”

This article was originally published in Arutz Sheva-Israel National News and can be viewed here.