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| Star of David with Zion in Hebrew |
When Joshua crossed over the Jordan in 1405 BCE he entered the Land promised by the God of Israel to the Israelites. Each of the Tribes of Israel, Jacob's son, had a section of land.
Judea and Samaria are regions that were part of the ancient Israelite kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Judea was located south of Jerusalem, while Samaria was located to the north.
Northern Samaritans and Southern Judea Jews share a common male chromosome ancestry, which happens to be different than Palestinians. Palestinians trace their genetic ancestry primarily to ancient populations of the Levant, including Bronze Age Canaanites. Which is to say, the battle between Israelites and Palestinians is an ancient one. One that the God of Israel was quite clear about.
The Star of David Testifies to the Land of Israel
King David united the tribes into the Kingdom of Israel. The Star of David, Israel, and Zion all trace back to King David.
In the Hebrew context, the Star of David is actually referred to as the “Shield of David” (magen David), a phrase first mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud, not as a symbol, but as an epithet for God [Pesachim 117b].
The shields of King David’s army had the Star. Rabbi Akiva chose the Star of David as the symbol of Bar-Kochba’s revolt against the Roman emperor Hadrian (Bar-Kochba’s name means “son of the star”).
According to historical estimates, the landmass of ancient Israel in 1000 BC, encompassing the combined territories of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, would have been roughly around 10,000 square miles. The land area of Israel today including Judea Samaria and Gaza is approximately 10,600 square miles.
That's why Hitler made Jews wear the infamous yellow star.
The phrase "West Bank" became commonly used after Jordan annexed the area in 1950, following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It referred to the territory west of the Jordan River, distinguishing it from Jordan's "East Bank" region.
Before Jordan annexed the territory and renamed it the "West Bank" in 1950, the area was commonly referred to as Judea and Samaria, names rooted in biblical and historical traditions.
Jordan annexed the west bank of the Jordan river in 1950 for several key reasons:
- The Territorial Ambitions of King Abdullah who sought to incorporate the West Bank into Jordan as part of his vision of a "Greater Syria" and to consolidate control over Arab Palestine.
- The annexation was framed as a measure to safeguard Arab territories from further Israeli expansion after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
- Annexing the West Bank gave Jordan control over East Jerusalem and its religious sites, enhancing its regional influence.
The people living in that area after Jordan annexed the "west bank" were deemed citizens of Jordan!
Jordan officially relinquished its claim to the "West Bank" on July 31, 1988, when King Hussein announced the severance of legal and administrative ties with the territory. After that residents in the abandoned "west bank" lost their Jordanian citizenship. Jordan does not even supply aid to settlers in the West Bank. Instead, Jordan has been actively sending humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, often passing through the West Bank.
Furthermore, Jordan does not grant Palestinians in the West Bank an automatic right to move to Jordan today. The Jordanian government views a large-scale migration of Palestinians from the West Bank as a threat to its national security.
Besides Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon consider the presence of large numbers of Palestinians a national security threat and restrict their ability to settle permanently.
Let's Keep Jordan in Context!
The modern nation of Jordan was created in 1921 when Winston Churchill, as part of the British mandate, established the Emirate of Transjordan under Hashemite Prince Abdullah. This separated the territory from the British Mandate Palestine to distinguish it from areas intended for a Jewish national home. Jordan formally gained independence from Britain in 1946, becoming the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with Abdullah as king.
There was no ancient "Kingdom of Jordan" as we know it today. The region of modern-day Jordan was home to several ancient kingdoms during the Iron Age (1200–332 BCE), including:
- Ammon: Centered around modern-day Amman.
- Moab: Located in the highlands east of the Dead Sea.
- Edom: Situated in the southern region near Wadi Araba.
Neither the Palestinians or the Jordanians can make the claim to a homeland or a nation that Israel can!!
UNITED ISRAEL
The current USA Administration does not use the phrase "west bank." There is Judea Samaria. That is historically accurate. Once you realize that, it is obvious that the so called west bank of the River Jordan IS Israel.
I expect it won't be long before the USA Officially acknowledges the area west of the Jordan as Israel. Much the same as President Trump did with the Golan Heights.
As Jews, I believe we should do the same. I am!
Calling all of Judea Samaria Israel is correct on every level. The west bank of the Jordan is no more Palestine than Israel is Cannan.
It behooves everyone living in a country, regardless of their origin or ethnic identity, to live there peacefully. Israel has every right, just like any country, to expect that and to demand that.
Am Yisrael Chai! עם ישראל חי
P.S. RIDDLE ME THIS: What's really small and bigger than something really big?
The "West Bank" and the Gulf of America.
When Trump acknowledges the west bank is part of Israel, the news is going to reverberate around the world and back again. It will be huge!
Epilogue:
Just listen to how Trump is reshaping the Middle East in 4 days.
West Bank belongs to Jews. Palestine is a myth. (Elise Stefanik, nominated U.N. Ambassador)
