In a significant development that underscores evolving American political dynamics around Judea and Samaria, more than 20 members of Congress gathered Wednesday evening to inaugurate the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus, an initiative supported by the advocacy group Israel365 Action.
The launch event, held in a packed congressional chamber just days before president Trump’s inauguration, represented the culmination of extensive behind-the-scenes work by Israel365 Action and the Samaria Regional Council, who spent months coordinating between Israeli officials and American lawmakers.
Representative Claudia Tenney, Republican of New York, who chairs the new caucus, took aim at conventional diplomatic terminology. “Why do we call this area the ‘West Bank’?” Ms. Tenney asked. “Why are we erasing the name of Judea and Samaria?”
Rep. Claudia Tenney (Photo courtesy)
The formation of the caucus signals a potential shift in how some American politicians discuss the contested territories. While the international community typically refers to the area as the West Bank, the caucus explicitly adopts the Israeli government’s preferred terminology of “Judea and Samaria.”
Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365 Action, who played a key role in organizing the launch, described the event as part of a broader strategy. “We are advocating aggressively for Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” Rabbi Weisz said.
The event drew a diverse crowd that included incoming administration officials, Christian leaders, and Jewish community representatives. Among them was Darren Fields, a technology investor and Israel365 Action delegate candidate, who characterized the congressional support as “monumental.”
“Seeing multiple representatives stand behind the podium in Congress, just before the Trump inauguration, openly talk about Israeli sovereignty over Judea & Samaria was monumental,” said Fields.
The caucus aims to advance legislation that would prohibit the use of “West Bank” in official U.S. government documents and strengthen support for Israeli settlements — positions that run counter to longtime U.S. policy and international consensus.
Governor of Samaria Yossi Dagan, addressing the gathering, framed the issue in broad civilizational terms. “This isn’t just a war about our security,” he said. “It’s a war between our civilization and the world of 3,000 years ago.”
Representative Tom McClintock, Republican of California, echoed this sentiment, arguing that “Israel can never be safe and secure unless it has full sovereignty over its historic land.”
The timing of the caucus launch, coming amid regional tensions and just before a presidential transition, highlights the complex interplay between domestic politics and Middle East policy. The initiative represents a departure from traditional U.S. diplomatic approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which have typically avoided taking positions on the final status of disputed territories.
Israel365 Action, operating as a grassroots organization, has positioned itself as a leading voice against the establishment of a Palestinian state and in favor of Israeli sovereignty in Israel’s Biblical heartland. Through its partnership with Jewish leaders, the group has helped create a new platform for advancing these positions within the Zionist movement through their new party campaigning in the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections.
