3/9/26 UPDATE

The Senate State and Local Government Committee is scheduled to vote on Tuesday, March 10, on SB1663 – the Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act, sponsored by Senator Rose. The is the Senate companion bill that would require Tennessee state agencies to stop using the internationally recognized term “West Bank” and instead mandate the use of “Judea and Samaria” in official government materials.

The Tennessee House is expected to vote on HB 1446 – Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act, sponsored by Rep. Todd on Mon March 9th. The bill would require Tennessee state agencies to stop using the internationally recognized term “West Bank” and instead use the terms “Judea and Samaria” in official state government materials.

This legislation unnecessarily inserts Tennessee into an international conflict and promotes a one-sided political and religious narrative that does not belong in state law.

We urge community members to contact their legislators and ask them to oppose SB1663/HB1446.

Why These Bills Raises Serious Concerns

1. It erases Palestinians and their lived reality

• The term “West Bank” is the internationally recognized geographic name used by the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, international media, and humanitarian organizations.

• By prohibiting Tennessee agencies from using this term, the bill promotes a politically motivated renaming that effectively erases Palestinian identity and history from official state communications.

2. The bill introduces religion and Islam into state legislation

• SB1663/HB1446 goes beyond geography and frames the conflict as:“a broader civilizational struggle between Judeo-Christian values and radical Islamic ideologies.”

• This language is deeply concerning because it injects religion into Tennessee state law and frames a foreign political conflict as a struggle against Islam.

• State legislation should not characterize global conflicts as religious battles, nor should it promote language that risks associating Islam with extremism.

• Muslim Tennesseans are part of the fabric of this state and deserve laws that treat all communities with fairness and respect.

3. Even Christian communities commonly use the term “West Bank”

• Many Christian denominations with long-standing churches in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the surrounding areas routinely use the term West Bank. Christian humanitarian organizations and pilgrimage groups working with Palestinian Christians also use this terminology.

• This bill, therefore, does not represent a unified Christian perspective, despite its religious framing.

4. Tennessee should focus on Tennessee

• SB1663/HB1446 directs state agencies to adopt a specific political position about territory thousands of miles away.

• At a time when Tennesseans are facing pressing challenges—such as housing affordability, healthcare access, education funding, and infrastructure—state resources should not be used debating terminology related to foreign territorial disputes.

• Tennessee taxpayers expect their legislature to focus on the needs of people in this state.