Why is Arkansas at the epicentre of the fight to rename the occupied West Bank to 'Judea and Samaria'?

The US state of Arkansas could require people at public institutions, such as universities, to use the term "Judea and Samaria" when referring to the occupied West Bank.

In April, a state House bill was approved "to prohibit state agencies [referring to all state institutions] from using 'West Bank' in official government materials; and for other purposes." The bill states that the area should be referred to by its historical names of Judea south of Jerusalem and Samaria south of the divided occupied city.

"This is a violation of seperation of church and state," David Frank, a professor of communication and rhetoric at the University of Oregon, told The New Arab. "That bill reflects an orientalist and Christian Zionist perspective."

The names "Judea and Samaria" refer to the ancient Israelite kingdoms, terms that have long been used but are not internationally recognised. The occupied West Bank, a term that has been used since the 1948 partition to refer to the area west of the Jordan River, is the official and internationally recognised name for the area, which is also used by prominent Israeli academics. The biblical term is sometimes used to signal one's position in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

It might seem unusual that Arkansas, a state without strong ties to the Middle East, would be one of the leaders in advocating for a religious Israeli position. However, Arkansas' support for Israel is largely buoyed by its far-right Christian population, one of the most politicised in the country, according to a February study by Public Religion Research Institute.

Moreover, the state's former governor, Mike Huckabee, who is now serving as the US ambassador to Israel, has insisted on using the term "Judea and Samaria," an indication of his support for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank. During a visit earlier this month with his daughter Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and House Speaker Mike Johnson, they jointly made a statement saying that "Judea and Samaria belongs to the Jewish people."

"These are originalists and literalists. They believe in the theology of Jesus returning. They forget about the parts of the bible about justice and caring for the poor," said Frank.

Ted Swedenburg, professor emeritus of anthropology and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Arkansas, is worried about the chilling effect of this bill and other policies related to teaching the Israel-Palestine conflict. He also points to the International Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which includes applying double standards to Israel.

"The administration is nervous about this. They don't want to get in trouble," Swedenburg told TNA. He said the university is now requiring professors to share their syllabi with the administration in advance, documents that are typically just distributed to students. TNA contacted the University of Arkansas for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

In addition to this policy being related to the country's close relationship with Israel, he sees this development as part of the "anti-woke" movement of chilling free speech. He also worries that this strict policy of academic wording could empower students to monitor their professors.

"The really frightening thing is this empowers students to make complaints," Swedenburg said.

In a sign of the times of academic unease over teaching about Israel and Palestine, Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi cancelled his Middle East history class over what he described as crushing repression following the institution's $200 million settlement with the US administration over allegations of antisemitism.

The crackdown on the use of the occupied West Bank appears to be intended to go far beyond the classroom and the state. In December, US Senator Tom Cotton introduced a bill to eliminate the federal use of the term West Bank.

The senator said in a public statement, "The Jewish people's legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years. The US should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel."