Committee advances bill using historical names for West Bank after opponent warns of international and legal implications

The Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee voted to advance House Bill 19 29, a measure directing state materials to use the historical names "Judea and Samaria" in place of the commonly used geographical term "West Bank." The sponsor framed the bill as historical recognition; an opponent told the committee the change carried political and legal implications.

Representative Mindy McLendon, a House sponsor, and Senator Jim Dodson presented the bill as a matter of historical accuracy and state-level recognition of a long cultural relationship with Israel. "By recognizing these areas by the historical names rather than by the politically charged term like West Bank, we honor the shared heritage and affirm the importance of these regions to millions of people worldwide," McLendon said.

Dr. Stephanie Gray, a Little Rock scholar who identifies as Jewish, testified in opposition. Gray told the committee the measure "is not a neutral or historical correction" and said adopting the term "Judea and Samaria" would align Arkansas with a religious and nationalist ideology and could be read as endorsing Israeli settlement claims in territory widely regarded internationally as occupied Palestinian land. Gray also noted that the U.S. State Department does not use the term and warned that adoption could undermine long-standing U.S. foreign-policy positions on Palestinian self-determination.

Sponsor Dodson told the committee that similar terminology has been used in other legislative contexts and compared the proposal to name changes such as restoring "Denali" for Mount McKinley. After brief discussion, the committee voted to pass the measure out of committee. There was recorded public opposition during the hearing and the sponsor acknowledged the presence of competing views.

The committee's action sends the bill forward for further legislative consideration.