Words matter. I am reminded of this each and every day as I drive through cities whose names reflect not just thousands of years of our Jewish history but also our very identity.
With President Donald Trump back in office, US Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas has re-introduced proposed legislation to have the United States stop using the term “West Bank” and instead use “Judea and Samaria,” the biblical and historical name for these areas in Israel. If this bill passes, it would necessitate by law the removal of past references to the term “West Bank” from all US documents.
It’s time for official US documents to reflect this historical truth, etched in stone across our ancient landscape.