Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who previously volunteered with the Israeli military, has ordered committee staff to refer to the Israeli-occupied West Bank as “Judea and Samaria,” a biblical name the state of Israel uses to refer to the Palestinian territory.
According to Axios, in a memo to 50 Republican staffers, 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.”
Mast is one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in Congress, which he demonstrated when he wore an IDF uniform to Capitol Hill in October 2023. “As the only member to serve with both the United States Army and the Israel Defense Forces, I will always stand with Israel,” he wrote on X at the time.
Mast’s order to Republican staffers comes amid a major Israeli military operation in the West Bank dubbed “Iron Wall,” which has involved the forced displacement of 40,000 Palestinians, the destruction of roads, homes, and other infrastructure, and the killing of civilians, including a pregnant woman and several children.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said the displaced Palestinians cannot return home, signaling a new ethnic cleansing campaign has begun. The Israeli government has made expanding illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank a priority with the ultimate goal of annexing the territory.
While it may seem only symbolic, referring to the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria” is a clear show of support for Israeli annexation. Mike Huckabee, Trump’s nominee to serve as the US ambassador to Israel, also refers to the West Bank using the same language and has said annexation is possible under the new Trump administration.
Earlier this month, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) reintroduced a bill that would require the use of the term “Judea and Samaria” in official US documents. Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) also introduced the legislation in the House and claimed that “the Israeli people have an undeniable and indisputable historical and legal claim over Judea and Samaria.”
