A new bill prefiled by State Representative Mark Gidley, R-Glencoe, would prohibit government entities in the state from using the term “West Bank” to refer to the region of Israel also known as Judea and Samaria.
The text of the bill itself claims that the term West Bank “is a deliberate attempt to erase the Jewish identity of Judea and Samaria and to obscure the deep historical, religious, and legal connections of the Jewish people to the land.”
It prescribes instead that the region be referred to as Judea for the portion south of Jerusalem and Samaria for the portion north of Jerusalem.
“The names ‘Judea’ and ‘Samaria’ are the historically, biblically, and legally accurate terms for the region,” the bill states. “‘Samaria’ derives from the city established by King Omri, as recorded in 1 Kings 16:24. ‘Judea’ refers to the territory of the Tribe of Judah, which included Jerusalem, Hebron, and surrounding regions.”
The state legislature has occasionally passed resolutions that refer to happenings in Israel which would fall under the law if passed. Smaller governments like city councils and county commissions would be less likely to be affected by the legislation.
An “executive head of a government entity” can waive the prohibition if he or she “determines that it is in the interests of the state” and within 30 days “submits a written explanation of the waiver to the Legislature, if the Legislature is in session; or the Legislative Council, if the Legislature is not in session.”
The bill does not provide any penalties for violating the prohibition.
