Arkansas has passed the “Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act,” prohibiting state agencies from using the term “West Bank” in official government documents and communications. Instead, the law mandates the use of the biblical terms “Judea and Samaria” to refer to the territory in eastern Palestine that Israel illegally occupies in violation of international law.
The bill was introduced by State Rep. Mindy McAlindon and passed both legislative chambers in April 2025. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders—daughter of Mike Huckabee, the current U.S. ambassador to Israel, who during a 2008 campaign stop stated, “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian”—signed it into law.
Rep. McAlindon says “Judea and Samaria” is the “proper name” for the region, and that using the term West Bank feeds into a narrative “that discounts the Israelis.” She also took issue with news outlets describing the area as the “occupied West Bank,” calling the label political and inflammatory—even though the world’s highest international court has ruled the occupation illegal.
No other U.S. state is currently considering a similar measure, though Senator Tom Cotton and Rep. Claudia Tenney have introduced companion bills at the federal level to enforce the same terminology nationwide. The law will take effect in the coming weeks, making Arkansas the first U.S. state to adopt such language restrictions.