Report: Key US House committee to refer to West Bank from now on as Judea and Samaria

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee will from now on only refer to the West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, the Axios news site reports, citing an internal committee memo sent yesterday by its chairman Rep. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, to the 50 GOP staffers on the panel.

The report says Mast wrote that “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.”

“Jewish roots in this region span centuries,” he added, and “as representatives of the American people, we must do our part to stem this reprehensible tide of antisemitism and recognize Israel’s rightful claim to the cradle of Jewish civilization.”

This is not US government policy, but it reflects the support of many in the party for Israel’s annexing of the territory it seized from Jordan in the Six-Day War in 1967.

US President Donald Trump promised some three weeks ago that the administration would likely announce the matter of West Bank annexation within four weeks.