Nadene Goldfoot
Today's Israel cabinet discussed the advancing of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria once again. In recent decades, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has controlled parts of the West Bank, and the militant group Hamas has run the Gaza Strip. You should know how that has turned out; something not to be repeated. Meanwhile, Israel has exercised power over both areas in different ways.
Members of Israel's parliament (the Knesset) advanced bills on October 22, 2025, that call for the formal annexation of the occupied West Bank, referred to as Judea and Samaria by the Israeli government. The annexation plan was initially put forward by right-wing lawmakers and involves applying Israeli law over the territory.
Vice President Vance was extremely bothered when he heard of this. He said he would not allow it to happen in so many words. It's the timing that bothers some Israelis politicians
the timing is bad. Yet the timing is as bad to the
Israelis whobrought it up when they did. Netanyahu is left in the middle of upset politicians on both sides. Israel actually voted on this, leaving Vance feeling insulted!
An Israeli Knesset vote took place on July 23, 2025, concerning a symbolic motion calling for the annexation of Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley—the Israeli terms for the occupied West Bank. The results of the vote were: For annexation: 71 lawmakers Against annexation: 13 lawmakers
The recent symbolic motion in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, mentioned above was a non-binding vote calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank. Although it has no immediate legal effect, it serves as a political statement and a call to action to apply Israeli sovereignty to the area. This non-binding vote passed with a large majority, but it does not formally authorize any annexation actions. This is the cure for Judah and Samaria's death to those concerned.
After some 3,500 years or so, Judah is almost dead, hardly remembered, replaced by WEST BANK, unknown to people on planet earth. As one of its homo sapiens, I'm here to tell you that Judah was the homeland of the Jewish people of today! Since there are only approximately 15.8 million Jews worldwide, making up about 0.2% of the total global population. This figure is still lower than the pre-Holocaust estimate of 16.6 million in 1939. Thus, we are only two-tenths of one % of the world population! 6 million were murdered openly, a government program done on purpose by Nazis from 1939 to 1945.
- Excluding occupied territories: Approximately 8,019 to 8,522 square miles is a commonly cited figure for Israel's area within its pre-1967 borders, also known as the Green Line. This number may also vary based on how internal water bodies are accounted for. Actually, Israel is about 1/10th of the size first promised. Prince Abdullah of Trans-Jordan got most of it.
Jews have since finally received back their ancient land once called Israel; not by war but by buying back land that the Ottoman Empire had lost to the Allies of the 2nd World War, and then finally, with letters like the Balfour Doctrine, been given the nod that England would be giving up their 30 year mandate on land, then called Palestine (named by the Romans in 135 CE after a battle with a Jewish general who gained Jerusalem back from them after they had taken the land in 70 CE for 3 years from 132-135). With that, Jews were given back their land on the same day; May 14, 1948.
A part of the land is the most important part and called Judah. Our history is of the 12 brothers of Jacob being given the land through the pick of lots, and Judah's 4th son got this piece of land and were happy with it. On that the first Temple of Solomon was built. Judah's land was one of the largest and finally absorbed the inheritance of Simeon in the Negev desert.
Jerusalem's area is the SE extending to the Dead Sea, composed of the desert of Judah, made of steep falling eastern slop of the Judean hills. Some 60 miles N to S by 15 miles East to West, it falls from 3,000 ft above sea-level to 1,300 ft below. It is cut by deep gorges and includes the biblical desert of Ziph, Jeruel, En Gedi, and Tekoa. It has caves which were the refuge of mystics, fugitives and rebels, as well as the hiding plae of the Dead Sea Scrolls, etc.
A capitol was eventually needed and created called Samaria (Shomron). David belonged to this tribe. He became an important king from about 1000-960 BCE.
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Jordan dubbed the name, 'West Bank" for Judea and Samaria."Jordan named the area "West Bank" after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War when it took control of the territory west of the Jordan River. The official annexation of this territory, which included East Jerusalem, was completed in 1950, and the name was used to differentiate it from Jordan's original territory, which was east of the river and called the "East Bank" or "Transjordan"
When King Solomon, David's son died, king Omri (no relation), a ranking soldier, bought the land for it in 880 BCE from Shemer(told about in I Kings 16:24) in the Bible. This city was made of 25 acres. Samaria withstood the siege of the Syrians but fell in 721 BCE to Sargon II of Assyria who resettled it with Cutheans who mixed in with the remnants of the former population and were ancestors of the Samaritans. It became a Macadonian colony in 331 BCE.
Samaria as a city decayed in Byzantine times and shrank to a village in the Arab period. By then the entire northern region of the central highlands of Palestine was referred to as Samaria.
The kingdom of Judah had as its first king, the son of Solomon who was Rehoboam who ruled from 933 to 917 BCE. It's last Jewish ruler was King Zedekiah, ruling from 597-586 BCE. Judah had had 20 kings ruling it during that period.
Then Rome ended it in 70 CE. Other conquerors have taken it. The last was the Ottoman Empire who held Palestine from 1516/1517 to 1917/1918, after conquering the region from the Mamluk Sultanate. This period of Ottoman rule lasted for approximately four centuries, though it was briefly interrupted by a nine-year occupation by Egypt between 1831 and 1840. The empire's rule ended during World War I when the British occupied the region. That 30 year rule ended on May 14, 1948.
Is Trump today's emperor taking the land once again? When Vespasian was declared Emperor on 1 July 69 AD, Titus was left in charge of ending the Jewish rebellion. In 70 AD, he besieged and captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and the Second Temple. For this achievement Titus was awarded a triumph; the Arch of Titus commemorates his victory and still stands today.
Then again, King Herod the Great had a lot to say about Jerusalem. Herod I or (c. 72 – c. 4 BCE) was a Roman Jewish client king of the Herodian kingdom of Judea. He is known for his colossal building projects. Among these works are the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the expansion of its base—the Western Wall being part of it. Many of the crucial details of his life are recorded in the works of the 1st century CE Roman–Jewish historian Josephus. Jerusalem was considered part of the Herodian kingdom and was a client state of the Roman Republic, later Roman Empire, ruled from 37 to 4 BCE by Herod the Great, who was appointed "King of the Jews"...It was another Herod, his son, Herod II Archelaus. whose father was Herod the Great in 4 BC, and ruled over one-half of the territorial dominion of his father. Archelaus was removed by the Roman emperor Augustus..so No, Herod the Great was only a king, not an emperor. .
