In further unserious legislating, rookie Senator John Carley (R-29/Piedmont) Senate Bill 59, a woke-for-Israel bill that would require state agencies to say “Judea and Samaria”, not “West Bank”.
The Israeli Knesset passed a similar measure last year to assert its dominance over the land it took back from Jordan in 1967:
Replacing the term ‘West Bank’ with the term ‘Judea and Samaria’ will express the legislator’s recognition of the historical right of the Jewish people to its land, and will rectify a historical injustice that was created by foreigners. This change conforms to the general trend of strengthening the Israeli linkage to the region and safeguarding the Jewish people’s historical rights [explanatory note to Correction of Terms in Legislation Bill (Judea and Samaria) 2024, in press release, Knesset News, 2025.02.12].
Calling the West Bank “Judea and Samaria” is not entirely geographically accurate, but it panders to the Israeli right-wing:
The use of “Judea and Samaria” is associated with the right wing in Israeli politics, which rejects the call for a two-state solution that aims to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By contrast, the term “West Bank” has much wider recognition, having been enshrined in international treaties, such as the Oslo Accords between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
…Although “Judea and Samaria” draws upon the historical use of “Judaea” and “Samaria,” the term, as defined by the Israeli government, does not align precisely with the geography of those regions. The traditional regions of Judaea and Samaria extend well beyond the West Bank and include localities, such as Beersheba and Caesarea, that lie outside the West Bank. This discrepancy exists because the West Bank’s borders were defined solely by an armistice agreement between Israel and Jordan in 1949 rather than being based on historical, geological, or demographic considerations. Overlaying the modern political conception of the West Bank with terminology rooted in Jewish history emphasizes the importance of the West Bank to the Jewish people, even if Judaea and Samaria, as historically understood, do not map neatly onto the 1949 borders. But the use of “Judea and Samaria” is controversial, because it unilaterally applies a term specific to Jewish history to a territory where most of the population is not Jewish. It is favored by people who assert that the Jewish people have a historical right to settle and annex the West Bank as the “heartland of the homeland.” However, supporters of a two-state solution, in which the core of a negotiated Palestinian state would be located in the West Bank, continue to use “West Bank” as it is internationally defined [editors, revised and updated by Adam Zeidan, “What Does the Term ‘Judea and Samaria’ Mean?” Britannica.com, retrieved 2026.01.12].
Perhaps surprisingly, Senator Carley shows some respect for higher education and exempts postsecondary instructors from having to rewrite their teaching and research materials. But every other document produced by a state agency—administrative rule, briefing, communication, guidance, material, press release, or work product document—will be forbidden from saying “West Bank”.
A quick check of state websites finds references to the “west bank” of American Island in the definition of Lyman County’s boundaries and the “west bank” of the Missouri River in a hunting unit in Gregory County. SB 59 refers only to the land adjacent to Jordan and will not place Fort Pierre in Judea or Samaria.
Quack Fred Deutsch is a Zionist and hating Zionism is not antisemitism.
Jews fought alongside the Muslims against the Crusaders in Jerusalem in 1099 and Haifa in 1100 and the Ottoman Turks who conquered Palestine were Sunni Islam. The 1916 Sykes–Picot agreement allocated to the United Kingdom control of what is today southern Israel, Palestine, Jordan and southern Iraq plus the ports at Haifa and Acre.
In 1946, Hồ Chí Minh offered Polish future Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion a Jewish home-in-exile in Vietnam but today the Jewish state is a rogue nation and longtime sponsor of global terrorism. After World War II, United States Air Force General Curtis LeMay famously said something like, “If we’d lost the war, we’d all have been prosecuted as war criminals” for the firebombing of Dresden in Germany and dropping two atomic bombs on Japan, among other attacks on civilians.
Five of my great-grandparents were Ashkenazi Jews but President Harry Truman failed the world community by recognizing the illegal seizure of Palestine so it’s no secret that this interested party would like to see Israel rolled back to 1917 borders and its settler inhabitants deported to Ukraine to defend their homelands.
Useless legislation.
Yeah, Larry, history shows that the winners are heroes and the losers
are criminals.
Let’s see what NEW ideas this year’s group o SD leaders accept and support.
No benefit in criticizing a gaggle of German Americans writing down proposals to change things in a state highly averse to change.
It’s just comical comparing to my CO legislature which begins today for 120 legislative days and typically ends in early May.
No Middle East leader is more unstable than Bibi Netanyahu but Trump’s United States is a rogue nation and a longtime sponsor of global terrorism. Zionists, terrorists, war criminals: just a few truths being spoken to power.
Isn’t it John Carleycorn?
Other than the few geographical references to “West Bank” referring to specific places in South Daiota, why on earth is the Legislture involving itself in such foolishness. For one, it’s bad history. No one really knows the borders of Judea and Sumaria anymore. Back then “borders” were pretty leaky anyway.
Here is an nteresting article about a book I read about “Jew Flats” in South Dakota. A great read for any South Dakotan interested in history.
https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/03/20/we-know-now-that-free-land-wasnt-free/
The center we had in the fourth grade from Irving School was Jewish. We won the championship in 1963. In the final game we were ahead by two. I threw him the ball and he just held it and swished his arms back and fourth. A foul was called and then all hell broke out because both officials disagreed on who committed the foul. Anyway Irving won. The tiniest school and we beat all the other schools. A season to remember in Sioux Falls. Even though they tore down the beautifully designed school. They also born down the Hollywood theater he designed. He also designed the hotel at Sylvan Lake. Sioux falls obviously doesn’t give a damn about architecture.
By Mr. Carley’s reasoning the Black Hills should be renamed He Sapa, Meade County renamed Mato Paha County and so forth. The new SD Supreme Court Justice is Jewish, right?
“Greetings, Corey.
I’m glad to see your insights shared on this platform, DFS. As an expatriate from South Dakota and a trusted friend, your leadership in creating this space continues to offer valuable perspective. Thank you for keeping us informed about the future of our state and our country. Your dedication to fostering awareness plays an important role in strengthening democracy and upholding the rule of law.”
Why Mr. Pay, you and grudznick have read a common book. You’re a sweller feller than I had previously thought. By the way, there could be a law bill this year to change the name of the “Black HIlls” to what the Arikara called it, before the Sioux took control of it from them.
Philistines R Us.
grdz: Arikara, the “Ree”, recent population 800, moved up from Kansas and Nebraska. The Venedrye brothers found a village of 40 earth lodges on the Missouri at the Bad River in 1741-3. Farmers, the Ree suffered at least two small pox pandemics reducing total population to 3,000. Louis & Clark saw three Missouri River villages north of the Grand River confluence in 1804. The 1851 treaty saw the Ree further north between the Yellowstone, Tongue, Little Missouri and Heart Rivers. Bloody Knife, Custer’s head Ree scout died beside Reno in June1876 at the Greasy Grass battle. I don’t believe the Rees ever “controlled the Black Hills” as you insinuate, pejoratively, as always (room for all the bigots in Trump’s party) . Lakota, recent population of 115,000, certainly did until after gold was discovered and our military attempted a final solution. A lot of Republicans up in Custer showed their true bigotry in the archives as the Lakota federally changed the name to Black Elk Peak.
If you read, Marie Sandoz’s STORY CATCHER features “the little Ree” (1963), a Lakota tale of growing up in the hills and buffalo prairie before whites came in. Spend an afternoon at her library, Chadron State College.
Don’t magats have better things to do than stick their dirty little fingers into everybody’s pie?
The Arikara dominated what they called the “Black Hills” Ms. leslie. Before they were driven out and had those hills stolen from them. That’s why Bloody Knife had an axe…er…knife to grind with the Sioux. They took his family’s land.
The Arikara dominated what they called the “Black Hills” Ms. leslie. Before they were driven out and had those hills stolen from them. That’s why Bloody Knife had an axe…er…knife to grind with the Sioux. They took his family’s land. If you look close at Bloody Knife you can tell there is a little Hunkpapa in there, too.