Cotton Reintroduces Legislation to Eliminate Federal Use of the Term “West Bank”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Caroline TablerorPatrick McCann(202) 224-2353February 4, 2025
Cotton ReintroducesLegislation to Eliminate Federal Use of the Term “West Bank”
Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced 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, legislation to require all official U.S. documents and materials to use the historically accurate term “Judea and Samaria” instead of the “West Bank”. This bill would require the use of historically accurate terminology and align U.S. policy language with the geographical and cultural significance of the region. This legislation was introduced in the House by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-New York).
“The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes 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,”said Congresswoman Tenney.“By introducing the RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria Act and creating the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus, we are working to reaffirm Israel's rightful claim to its territory. I am dedicated to working with President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, and Ambassador Huckabee to support communities in the region while opposing the establishment of a hostile state that promotes terrorism in Judea and Samaria. I remain committed to defending the integrity of the Jewish state and fully supporting Israel's sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
Text of the legislation may be foundhere.
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