A 19-Year Name vs. 3,000 Years of History: Judea vs. ‘West Bank’

The Jewish community of Beit El in Judea and Samaria. Photo: Yaakov via Wikimedia Commons.

Read a story about Israel from almost any major news outlet and you’ll see the same convention: “West Bank,” stated as fact, and “Judea and Samaria” treated as controversial.

In fact, these outlets all treat “Judea and Samaria” as a label used by Israel, often with a caveat that it is “biblical,” “right wing” or even “far-right.”

One term is presented as neutral. The other arrives with a warning.