The Tennessee General Assembly, under the leadership of State Senator Mark Pody and State Representative Chris Todd, voted to ban in all official State documents the use of the term “West Bank", in favor of the more historically accurate name Judea and Samaria.
The move came after a campaign led by local Jewish and Christian Leaders, including Evangelical Christian Zionist leader Laurie Cardoza-Moore, who also serves as a member of the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission.
These unified religious leaders petitioned the legislators to introduce the legislation needed to ensure historically accurate references to geographical locations in the Middle East.
Cardoza-Moore personally testified in support of the motion, which has been passed by the General Assembly and now awaits the signature of Governor Bill Lee to officially sign it into law.
Cardoza-Moore, whose Focus on Israel televised program reaches an audience of over 2 billion persons worldwide, explained, “Judea and Samaria are not just names or political terms - they are a connection to truth, to history, and to our shared Judeo-Christian heritage."
She went on to describe the use of the term West Bank as an affront to American heritage: “When we use the Biblical names, we stand against modern revisionism which seeks to erase that heritage - not only in that Land, but even here in our own Republic."
“Judea and Samaria are the Biblical, geographical, historical, and legal terms used for thousands of years to describe the mountains overlooking Israel’s coast. This is the cradle of our Faith. From towns like Shiloh and Bethel, from the plains of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee, this is not just Jewish history - it is our history," said Cardoza-Moore.
Making a legal argument, she stated, “Even international law and early United Nations documents recognized these names - Judea and Samaria - long before the term ‘West Bank’ was introduced after Jordan’s occupation. The name matters. Because history matters."
In closing, she explained the impeccable timing of the Bill, as Israeli and American soldiers fight in Iran in unison as part of Operation Epic Fury.
“As the United States and Israel stand together - shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart - in the cause of freedom and liberty, now is the time for us to honor that shared legacy. Let us speak the truth. Let us use the names our faith, our history, and our forefathers recognized - Judea and Samaria," concluded Cardoza-Moore.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)