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Edited by: TJVNews.com
The return of Donald J. Trump to the White House has emboldened right-wing lawmakers in both Israel and the United States, intensifying efforts to support Israeli annexation of what is known as the “West Bank” but is commonly referred to as Judea and Samaria in many Israeli circles. According to a report on Tuesday in The New York Times, the territory, long viewed by Palestinians and the international community as part of a future Palestinian state, is now at the center of a renewed political and ideological battle.
On Friday, Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced new legislation that would bar the use of the term “West Bank” in U.S. government documents and instead require officials to refer to the area as “Judea and Samaria”—the biblical name for the region that is widely used by Israeli authorities.
As reported by The New York Times, the proposed language change is aimed at reinforcing Israel’s historical and legal claim to the territory, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. The shift in terminology reflects a growing push among right-wing Israeli and American lawmakers to legitimize Israeli sovereignty over the region and distance U.S. policy from any recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, defended the move, asserting that “the Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria go back thousands of years”. The New York Times reported that he also called on the U.S. government to stop using what he described as the politically charged term “West Bank.” However, critics of annexation argue that it is the term “Judea and Samaria” that reflects a deliberate political agenda aimed at advancing Israeli expansionist policies.
In addition to the legislation, Representative Claudia Tenney, a Republican from New York, announced the formation of a new congressional group—the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus—which will focus on policies that support Israeli claims to the territory.
Tenney introduced a similar bill last year, but it gained little traction under the previous administration. However, with Trump back in office, the dynamics in Washington have shifted significantly, giving new momentum to Republican-led efforts to reshape U.S. policy on Israel and the future of Judea and Samaria, as was reported by The New York Times.
“By introducing the bill and creating the caucus, we are working to reaffirm Israel’s rightful claim to its territory,” Tenney said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
Her push aligns closely with Trump’s previous policies, including his 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and his 2020 peace plan, which proposed Israeli annexation of large portions of Judea and Samaria.
On Tuesday, Trump held a high-profile meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington—the first official visit by a foreign leader since Trump’s return to office. As reported by The New York Times, the meeting illustrated Trump’s unwavering support for Israel and signaled a potential shift in U.S. policy toward Israeli territorial expansion.
When asked at a Monday press briefing whether he supported Israeli annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria, Trump declined to provide a direct answer but notably did not dismiss the idea either, according to The New York Times.
“It certainly is a small country in terms of land,” Trump said in reference to Israel. Mr. Trump used an analogy to illustrate his point: “My desk is the Middle East. And this pen, the top of the pen, that’s Israel. That’s not good, right? It’s a pretty big difference.”
Trump’s refusal to outright reject annexation has fueled speculation that his administration may once again pursue policies that favor Israeli expansion—a move that would put the U.S. at odds with much of the international community, including longtime allies in Europe and the Middle East.
As these political discussions unfold, the Israeli military has intensified its operations in Judea and Samaria, conducting large-scale raids that seek to eradicate terrorist groups such as the Iranian-backed Hamas. According to The New York Times, violence has surged in the area, with Israeli security forces facing increased attacks from terrorist groups and responding with arrests and military actions.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders have condemned the recent U.S. legislative proposals, calling them a blatant attempt to erase Palestinian identity and undermine the prospect of a two-state solution. According to the report in The New York Times, the Palestinian Authority has warned that such measures could increase tensions and lead to more violence.
The push to change U.S. terminology from “West Bank” to “Judea and Samaria” has already drawn sharp criticism from global leaders. As reported by The New York Times, many Western nations continue to view the West Bank as occupied territory and consider Israeli settlements in the area to be illegal under international law.
European and Arab nations have reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution, warning that any U.S. endorsement of Israeli annexation would further isolate Washington from key diplomatic partners.
At the same time, right-wing Israeli politicians have welcomed the shift, arguing that the Trump administration’s support will allow Israel to solidify its claim to the territory without facing significant international pushback.
Trump’s comments come amid growing tensions over Israeli settlements in the Judea and Samaria region, territory that hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers now inhabit under both tacit and explicit government approval.
Since Israel liberated Judea and Samaria in the aftermath of the 1967 war, successive Israeli governments have permitted and encouraged settlement expansion, steadily increasing the number and size of Israeli communities in the biblical territory.
Many members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government have explicitly stated that expanding Israeli control over Judea and Samaria is a key objective. This growing movement views Trump’s return to power as a critical opportunity to further strengthen Israel’s hold on the territory.
Settlers and their political allies hope that Trump will once again back policies that facilitate expansion, just as he did during his first administration. The New York Times reported that settlement advocates believe Trump’s willingness to challenge international norms will allow Israel to move forward with annexation efforts without facing major pushback from Washington.
During his first term, Trump took a radically different approach to U.S. policy on Israeli settlements. The New York Times reported that in 2019, the Trump administration formally declared that the United States no longer considered Israeli settlements illegal. This decision reversed decades of bipartisan U.S. policy, which had historically viewed settlements as a major obstacle to peace.
By removing the legal argument against settlement expansion, Trump’s policy eliminated a critical barrier to potential annexation, emboldening Israeli settlers and right-wing lawmakers who sought to permanently integrate Judea and Samaria into Israel.
However, the Biden administration took steps to reverse this stance. In 2023, then-Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reaffirmed that Israeli settlements were inconsistent with international law, restoring the longstanding U.S. position in opposition to West Bank expansion, according to The New York Times report. The Biden administration actively opposed settlement growth, arguing that it undermines peace negotiations and further destabilizes the region.
With Trump back in office, many in Israel’s political circles believe the time is ripe to push forward with long-sought annexation plans. The New York Times report highlighted that Trump’s refusal to condemn settlement expansion and his past willingness to challenge international consensus suggest that he may once again greenlight Israeli policies.
