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== History ==
== History ==
The name "West Bank" was used by [[Jordan]] (at the time ''The Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan'') for the area controlled under the 1949 Armistice Agreements at the end of the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]]. The Jordan annexation of the West Bank in this war lasted for 19 years and was never condemned by a single [[United Nations]] resolution.<ref name="frontpagemag">https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/209047/staking-out-israels-lawful-claims-west-bank-ari-lieberman</ref>
The name "West Bank" was used by [[Jordan]] (at the time ''The Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan'') for the area controlled under the 1949 Armistice Agreements at the end of the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]]. The Jordan annexation of the West Bank in this war lasted for 19 years and was never condemned by a single [[United Nations]] resolution.<ref name="frontpagemag">Ari Lieberman , [https://www.frontpagemag.com/staking-out-israels-lawful-claims-west-bank-ari-lieberman/ Staking Out Israel’s Lawful Claims to the West Bank].
"Why the Jewish State has a superior case for sovereignty in Judea and Samaria than the Palestinians." Frontpagemag.com, October 29, 2013</ref>
During the [[Six-Day War]] in 1967 King Hussein of Jordan ordered his army to attack [[Israel]]. The Jordan artillery shelled Israeli population centers in West [[Jerusalem]] while the Israeli army responded to the attacks by conquering East Jerusalem and the West Bank. According to the Article 52 of the [[UN Charter]] Israel acted legal by defending itself against the Jordan aggression. Nevertheless, the "occupation" of the West Bank through Israel was condemned by the [[European Union]].<ref name="frontpagemag" />
During the [[Six-Day War]] in 1967 King Hussein of Jordan ordered his army to attack [[Israel]]. The Jordan artillery shelled Israeli population centers in West [[Jerusalem]] while the Israeli army responded to the attacks by conquering East Jerusalem and the West Bank. According to the Article 52 of the [[UN Charter]] Israel acted legal by defending itself against the Jordan aggression. Nevertheless, the "occupation" of the West Bank through Israel was condemned by the [[European Union]].<ref name="frontpagemag" />
Since the Oslo Accords, several parts of the territory is under Arab rule. There is presence of Arab Christians, which are mostly Catholic and Orthodox.
Since the Oslo Accords, several parts of the territory is under Arab rule. There is presence of Arab Christians, which are mostly Catholic and Orthodox.
The region commonly referred to internationally as the "West Bank" is conceptualized through a framework of historical rights, strategic necessity, and security imperatives.<ref>[https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/us-speaker-judea-samaria-declaration “This Land Is Yours”—U.S. Speaker Stuns with Bold Judea-Samaria Declaration]. ''Jfeed'', Aug 4, 2025</ref><ref>[https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/judea-samaria-recognition Arizona Joins Growing U.S. Movement to Recognize ‘Judea and Samaria’]. ''Jfeed'', Apr 29, 2026</ref>
==Historical, Biblical, and Legal Rights==
===The Biblical Heartland===
Conservative commentators and leaders emphasize that Judea and Samaria represent the cradle of Jewish history and identity, containing ancient capitals and sacred heritage sites such as Hebron, Shiloh, Beit El, and Shechem.<ref>Aliza Pilichowski, [https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-885730 Israel's heart is not in Tel Aviv - it is in Judea and Samaria]. ''JPost'', Feb 8, 2026</ref>
The article "The Battle for Judea and Samaria: The Jewish People's Biblical Heartland" explores the intensifying political, strategic, and physical contest over the region commonly referred to internationally as the West Bank.<ref>[https://www.jns.org/analysis/the-battle-for-judea-and-samaria-the-jewish-peoples-biblical-heartland The battle for Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people’s biblical heartland]. ''JNS'', Oct 13, 2026</ref>
The article emphasizes the deep-rooted historical, archaeological, and scriptural ties of the Jewish people to Judea and Samaria, framing the area not as foreign land or a colonial settlement project, but as the ancient cradle of Jewish identity, heritage, and history.
===Rejection of the Term "West Bank"===
"West Bank" is characterized as a modern political designation coined by Jordan in 1950 to delineate territory it annexed. "Judea and Samaria" were the administrative district names used during the British Mandate and in earlier historical periods.
===International Law and Legal Title===
Under international legal principles such as uti possidetis juris, Israel inherited the boundaries of Mandatory Palestine upon independence in 1948. Because Jordan's subsequent occupation and annexation were not internationally recognized by most states, Israel's recovery of the territory in 1967 is viewed by proponents of this position not as an occupation of a foreign country, but as the liberation and reclamation of its own sovereign territory.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJtrFdnWL4k&t=1276 Judea and Samaria: Historical, Strategic, and Political Dynamics in U.S.-Israel Relations. House Foreign Affairs Committee]. Dec 10, 2025</ref>
==Strategic Defense and Security==
===The High Ground===
Geographically, the hills of Judea and Samaria overlook Israel's narrow and densely populated coastal plain. Conservatives argue that maintaining a permanent military and civilian presence in the region is a non-negotiable security requirement.
===The Precedent of Gaza===
Writers frequently cite Israel's 2005 Gaza disengagement as a cautionary tale. They argue that withdrawing from Judea and Samaria would create a strategic vacuum that could be filled by Iranian-backed terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, bringing rocket fire and existential threats directly to central Israel.<ref>[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403333 The Importance of Building and Settling Judea and Samaria]. Yonatan Behar, ''INN'', Feb 3, 2025.</ref> Worth mentioning, [[Islamism|Islamist]] [[Hamas]] rise came about after Israel gave away (Gush Katif) land in 2005. This line was reinforced by many in the mainstream following the shocking surprise genocidal [[Oct 7 War|Oct 7 attack]] by the Arab [[Palestinian]] Islamic Gaza regime.
The article explains: "Jewish building and settling in Judea and Samaria is more than an ideological position; it is a necessary measure to ensure Israel’s security and safeguard its people from the strategic vulnerabilities."
Shifting Israeli Policy and Enforcement:
Following the current Israeli government's return to office, the state has adopted a more assertive approach to controlling and shaping the territory. This includes efforts to expand Israeli settlements and infrastructure, alongside increased state enforcement and political determination regarding land management.
The Contest over Facts on the Ground:
The struggle for land control is particularly prominent in Area C. Organizations such as Regavim monitor Palestinian construction and enforcement measures. Proponents of Israeli settlement argue that these actions are essential to preventing the strategic loss of territory and securing the biblical heartland for future generations.
Defensive War Context:
Following regional escalations and domestic security threats, Israeli prime ministers and military strategists have framed sweeping military operations and closures in the region as preventative measures intended to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent mass casualties.
The region is also presented as a vital security buffer for Israel's heartland. Proponents of a strong Israeli presence argue that retaining military and municipal control over Judea and Samaria, including the Jordan Valley, is essential to defending the country against regional threats and preventing the establishment of a hostile sovereign entity along its most vulnerable borders.
===Different motivations===
Haredim and Religious Zionists: Different Motivations
'''Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Position'''
According to Haredi sources and sociological data, the Haredi stance on Judea and Samaria is driven primarily by pragmatism, demographic necessity, and affordable housing rather than right-wing nationalism.
Historically, Haredi communities have been open to territorial concessions when considered necessary to save Jewish lives under the principle of ''Pikuach Nefesh''. At the same time, severe housing shortages have contributed to the Haredi community's growth across the Green Line, including the establishment of large, predominantly Haredi cities such as Modi'in Illit and Beitar Illit.
Haredi leadership maintains a non-Zionist theological framework that separates residential settlement from ideological nationalism. Nevertheless, Haredi political factions, on pratical basis, generally align with Israel's political bloc on the right to protect the homes, budgets, and infrastructure serving the hundreds of thousands of Haredi residents living across the Green Line.
'''Religious Zionist Position'''
(Internationally referred to as "settlers")
Religious Zionists generally frame settlement in Judea and Samaria through an explicitly ideological and theological commitment to the Land of Israel, emphasizing biblical heritage, Jewish national identity, and the historical and religious significance of the region. Strategic security considerations and the expansion of Jewish settlement are also central to this position.
While Haredi support for settlement is shaped by housing needs, demographic considerations, and political pragmatism, Religious Zionist support is more directly rooted in religious-nationalist ideology and the belief that Jewish settlement in the region fulfills a historical and religious mission.
== Christians in the West Bank ==
== Christians in the West Bank ==
{{Main article|Palestinian Authority#Christian minority}}
{{Main article|Palestinian Authority#Christian minority}}
[[File:Catholics in the West Bank.jpg|thumbnail|Maronite Catholics in the West Bank on Good Friday of 2012.]]
[[File:Catholics in the West Bank.jpg|thumbnail|Maronite Catholics in the West Bank on Good Friday of 2012.]]
A large number of Christians are indigenous to the region,<ref name=SME>{{cite web|url=https://blog.sme.sk/kandalaft/politika/palestinski-krestania-zabudnuta-obet-okupacie|title=Palestinian Christians - a forgotten victim of the occupation|date=April 26, 2012|publisher=SME Blog (Slovakia)}}</ref> and many of these are descended from the first Christians- the first Jews who chose to follow Christ and recognize him as the messiah. Also many Arameans, another Semitic group native to the area, accepted Christ very early on in the history of Christianity, and thus contribute a lot to the genetics of today's Christians in the Palestinian Authority, later joined over thousand years later by surviving European crusaders and their families after their defeat at the hands of the Islamic armies,<ref>http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2045/palestinian-christianity-myth</ref> when they blended into the native, Semitic Christian population.
A large number of Christians are indigenous to the region, and many of these are descended from the first Christians- the first Jews who chose to follow Jesus. Also many Arameans, another Semitic group native to the area, accepted Christ very early on in the history of Christianity, and thus contribute a lot to the genetics of today's Christians in the Palestinian Authority, later joined over thousand years later by surviving European crusaders and their families after their defeat at the hands of the Islamic armies,<ref>http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2045/palestinian-christianity-myth</ref> when they blended into the native, Semitic Christian population.
There are Catholic and Orthodox Churches in the West Bank and [[Gaza]]. The Iraqi-born, Assyrian Australian prelate, [[Mar Mari Emmanuel]], visited Gaza once.
There are Catholic and Orthodox Churches in the West Bank and [[Gaza]]. The Iraqi-born, Assyrian Australian prelate, [[Mar Mari Emmanuel]], visited Gaza once.
In the Gaza Strip, the Christian population has plummeted from about 3,000 a decade ago to an estimated 1,000 today, most of them Greek Orthodox.
In the Gaza Strip, the Christian population has plummeted from about 3,000 a decade ago to an estimated 1,000 today, most of them Greek Orthodox.
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“Though the Christians in the PA avoid saying so publicly, many of them fear – with good reason – that Muslim aggression against them will only escalate,” wrote Edy Cohen, a researcher at the center. “Such fears are all the stronger in light of the thunderous silence of the Western [and Israeli] media, in the face of the Christian minority’s ongoing disappearance from the PA and Islamic lands in general.”
“Though the Christians in the PA avoid saying so publicly, many of them fear – with good reason – that Muslim aggression against them will only escalate,” wrote Edy Cohen, a researcher at the center. “Such fears are all the stronger in light of the thunderous silence of the Western [and Israeli] media, in the face of the Christian minority’s ongoing disappearance from the PA and Islamic lands in general.”