“ICEJ USA has not discussed the issue with the White House, but we would hope that the administration would acknowledge the historical identity of the biblical heartland by rightly referring to it as Judea and Samaria,” the spokesperson said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday (Feb. 20).
The Cotton-Tenney legislation, supporters argue, simply returns the area to a long-held name.
“Yes, we do support this legislation as it reflects more accurately the historic identity of the region dating back to biblical times,” the ICEJ USA spokesperson said.
But some scholars say that’s inaccurate. The biblical Judea and Samaria is far larger than the West Bank and includes parts of the Galilee in Israel’s north as well as Jerusalem and the South of Israel.
“To say Judea and Samaria is completely inaccurate if you’re referring to the area between the 1949 armistice line and the Jordan River,” said Ian Lustick, a retired political scientist from the University of Pennsylvania and a Middle East scholar.
The region does include a number of sites mentioned in the Bible, such as Bethlehem and Jericho, that are in the West Bank. It is also the home of the Palestinian Authority governing body based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, as well as the Palestinian cities of Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarm.
Since the West Bank’s capture by Israel in 1967, more than 120 Jewish settlements, considered illegal under international law, as well as nearly 200 pastoral outposts, have been built as settlers seize more and more land from Indigenous Palestinians.
In a statement, Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation, a pro-Israel advocacy group, cited the presence of biblical sites as part of the rationale for Israel’s rule over the region. Reinstein will host an event at the NRB where the resolution will be signed.
“Everywhere I go, Bible-believing Christians are speaking about the real possibility for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Reinstein said in a statement. “With President Trump’s statement on the issue only a week or two away, many Christians believe that they could be witnessing the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, yet again.”
Evangelicals have long been among the most active and loyal supporters of Israel — and have become particularly vocal about their support of the country during the Israel-Hamas war. The NRB’s convention has long been a gathering spot of pro-Israel evangelicals, drawing Israeli officials, pro-Israel ministries and Holy Land tourist companies. During the 2024 convention, Israeli officials showed footage from the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, while families of hostages spoke to attendees and the media about the plight of their loved ones.
The 2025 NRB convention will feature an “Israel War Room” exhibit, “an immersive and powerful space that reveals the critical battle for Israel’s biblical heartland,” according to its website.
