Amid calls for boycott – Democratic lawmakers visit settlement in Judea and Samaria

A bipartisan delegation of US senators and House members toured the new settlement in northern Samaria. The lawmakers pledged to advance legislation to remove the term "West Bank" from official documents and to combat boycotts. Council head Yossi Dagan said that even the left in the US will recognize our right to the land.

Marking the third anniversary of the October 7 events, a first-of-its-kind bipartisan delegation from the United States arrived in Samaria, including senators and House members from key states such as Florida, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Alabama. The delegation, hosted by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, toured strategic and historical sites in the area, including the new settlement of Eival established last summer, the "State Balcony" in Peduel, Joshua's Altar, and Joseph's Lookout. Delegation members declared their intention to translate the visit into practical legislation: recognizing the name "Judea and Samaria" instead of "West Bank" in official documents, tightening laws against boycotts, and prohibiting state engagement with boycotting companies. Florida House member Chase Tramont emphasized that using the original name is a restoration of Jewish heritage. Texas House member Tom Oliverson called the term "West Bank" an artificial UN construct. Alabama Senator Keith Kelley noted that the visit completely changed his perspective. Dagan said the message crosses party lines in the US and that the goal is sovereignty and expanding support for settlement. The visit is part of the council's foreign relations unit's activity with about 16 US states. Tennessee has already approved a law recognizing the term "Judea and Samaria," a resolution passed in Arizona, and advanced bills have been submitted in Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia.