FLORIDA, USA, 27 January. - (ANA) - A measure is being advanced in the Florida legislature to officially recognise the term "Judea and Samaria" and ban "West Bank" in official state documents.

 

The name change, which has strong support in both chambers of the Florida state legislature, would mean that all official documents, including press releases, school textbooks, and library materials, would refer to the area west of the Jordan River by its biblical names, Judea and Samaria.

 

"Recognising Judea and Samaria; Prohibits use of term 'West Bank' in official government materials; prohibits use of moneys to create official government materials using such term; requires instructional materials & library media centre collections adopted or acquired by certain entities on or after specified date to refer to certain area as Judea & Samaria; prohibits instructional materials & library media centre collections adopted or acquired by certain entities on or after specified date from using term West Bank," reads a summary of the state senate bill, which would take effect on 1 July.

 

Supporters of the bill say it seeks to recognise a historic location, while critics say it is a tactic to erase Palestinian identity—and possibly further Israeli control over the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967 (and expanding illegal settlements ever since).

 

"The people of Florida elect their state legislators to serve the people of Florida, not to serve a foreign government stunt like this Israel First bill," Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told The New Arab.

 

"Attempts to censor references to the West Bank and erase Palestinian identity altogether are both racist and ahistorical. The Florida legislature should focus on taking care of the people of Florida, not carrying out the whims of a foreign, genocidal apartheid government," he said.

 

Geographic names have long been a source of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier this month, textbooks by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were found to have removed the designation of Palestine, replacing it with the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

 

The names "Judea and Samaria" refer to the ancient Israelite kingdoms, terms that have long been used by Zionist extremists but are not internationally recognised. The term "occupied West Bank" was used after the 1948 partition and the 1950 Jordanian annexation to refer to the land west of the Jordan River. It is the official, internationally recognised name for the area, also used by prominent Israeli academics. The biblical term is sometimes used to signal one's position in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

 

According to local news reports in Florida, the measure has drawn significant public feedback from both supporters and opponents, with leaders of Florida's Jewish and Christian communities representing both sides of the debate.

 

Support for the bill has also come from Israel. Earlier this month, Yossi Dagan, a leader in Israel's settler movement and Governor of the Samaria Council, visited Florida’s state capital of Tallahassee, where he discussed the name change. Last year, Dagan thanked US President Donald Trump for what he saw as the US president's support for Palestinian emigration from Gaza. He described it as a historic opportunity for Israel to assert its sovereignty over Samaria.

 

This is one of the first state bills of its kind. Given Florida's role as a leader in conservative movements, this bill could inspire other states to pass similar legislation. Another state that has taken similar measures is Arkansas, which moved forward with legislation last year.     - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/27 January 2026 - - -