Chase Tramont bill would replace references to the West Bank in state materials

Legislation filed this week in the Florida House would replace the term “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” going forward.

State Rep. Chase Tramont’s bill (HB 31) would ban the use of “West Bank” in official governmental materials going forward. It would also stop any spending already committed to that end.

“With this bill, Florida sends a clear message: we will stand with Israel, we’ll honor truth over revisionism, and defend the eternal bond between the Jewish people and their ancestral homeland,” Tramont told Florida Politics this week.

One exception would apply. As currently drafted, an agency head can waive the rule if it’s “in the best interest of the state,” provided they explain why in writing within 30 days to the Senate President and the House Speaker.

If adopted, the land south of Jerusalem would be considered “Judea” in state documents, while areas north of Jerusalem would be considered as “Samaria.”

The timing is no accident, Tramont maintains, especially in light of other countries taking positions he sees as an affront to Israeli prerogatives.

“With the egregious decisions of the U.K., France, Australia, Canada and others recognizing a Palestinian State, I believe it’s appropriate for Florida to lead the way once again. Judea and Samaria was, is, and always will be recognized as Israeli sovereign land.”

Tramont also believes that Israel has a right to protect its sovereignty and has fought its latest war judiciously.

“These so-called accusations of genocide by the U.N. is not reflective of the truth of what’s actually happening on the ground,” Tramont said.

“It amazes me how people quickly and enthusiastically take the word of the terrorist organization Hamas. If Israel wanted to commit genocide they would have done that on Oct. 8, 2023. No country has made a more deliberate attempt to protect civilians in a war zone. Every casualty is beyond tragic. But the fault lies at the feet of Hamas. And to suggest that the Palestinian Authority is any better is devoid of real intelligence.”

Tramont’s bill aligns with federal legislation championed in recent years by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York. President Donald Trump backs the federal “Judea and Samaria Act,” which Tenney says is a way to avoid attempts to “weaponize” the term West Bank.

While Israel has preferred the historic designations of Judea and Samaria, the term “West Bank” actually serves as a subtle invalidation of Israel’s claim to the territory. It was promulgated by the government of Jordan, which controlled the area until 1967’s Six Day War.

Legislation in the Israeli Knesset offers further indication of the country’s preference.

The Correction of Terms in Legislation Bill (Judea and Samaria), which is sponsored by MK Simcha Rothman of the Orthodox Religious Zionism Party, “is intended to regulate the use of the uniform term ‘Judea and Samaria’ in Israeli legislation, and to replace other terms that refer to the same geographical region.”

The goal of Rothman’s bill is to “create terminological uniformity in legislation, which will befit the status of these territories and the proper attitude towards them in official legislation of the State of Israel.”

If the bill becomes law, it would be the most recent piece of pro-Israel legislation in the Gov. Ron DeSantis era.

Earlier in 2025, the state defunded “academic boycotts” of Israel. Florida has also been involved in multiple rescue operations to bring Americans back to the states when war has broken out in the country.

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