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Judea and Samaria Area

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This article refers to a District of Israel called Judea and Samaria. For historical regions of Judaea and Samaria see Judea or Samaria. For uses synonymous with the term "the West Bank", see that entry.

Judea and Samaria (Hebrew: יהודה ושומרון Yehuda ve-Shomron , also an acronym יו"ש Yosh or ש"י Shai; Arabic: اليهودية والسامرة al-Yahudiyyah was-Sāmarah) are the Biblical names for the area now more commonly referred to as the West Bank. It is the official name of one of the seven Districts of Israel (not recognised by the UN).

The geographical area of Samaria roughly corresponds to the territory of the ancient Kingdom of Israel with the capital in Shomron (Sebastia), while Judea (also Judaea) corresponds to the Kingdom of Judah with the capital in Jerusalem. After about 80 years of United Monarchy under Kings David and Solomon, the United Kingdom of Israel and Judea split into two independent kingdoms that occasionally went to war with each other. Referral to them as a unit is dating from the modern period, specifically the time of their occupation and annexation by Jordan. However, prior to the Jordanian occupation, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 passed on November 29, 1947 used the term "Samaria and Judea" as part of the description of the border between the proposed Jewish and Arab/Muslim states.

Sometimes, the term "Judea and Samaria" is employed to distinguish it from the "West Bank", the latter term now thought to include also East Jerusalem and stretches of what used to be no-man's land between Israel and the Jordan River's West Bank. Following the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel, according to Israeli law, Judea and Samaria is considered Terra nullius[citation needed].

The term "Judea and Samaria" is also employed specifically as a collective reference to the Jewish settlements in that area, historically and presently, especially by Jewish settlers and their supporters.[citation needed] Many Arab Palestinians (Muslims) object to this term, which they perceive as a rejection of their claim to the land. Nevertheless, the term al-Yahudiyya was-Samarah is used by Arab Christians in reference to the Bible.[1]

Status

Main articles: West Bank § Status, and West Bank

The United Nations[citation needed] and most of the international community[citation needed] considers Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) as territory illegally occupied by Israel.

In the 2006 Israeli elections, parties advocating relinquishing parts or all of Judea and Samaria gained 64 out of 120 Knesset seats (Kadima, Labour, Meretz along with the Arab parties). However, due to a change in public opinion following the Second Lebanon War[citation needed] in July-August 2006, such plans are not part of the current agenda.

Cities

Local councils

Regional councils

See also

References

  1. ^ Murqus, Sa'īd. Tafsīr kalimāt al-Kitāb al-Muqaddas (Cairo, 1996, in Arabic)
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