Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index The phrase Judea and Samaria refers to lands named and described in the holy texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam which are now part of the West Bank, and are claimed by assorted Palestinian groups for a Palestinian state. The phrase almost always recurs in reference to West Bank settlements which are (according to the UN, mostly illegally) placed on lands claimed by Palestinian Arabs. The rationales for this varies. One is that the lands "are" the historical biblical Judea and Samaria, another is for security purposes, and another that prior to Arab riots in 1929, and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War Jewish communities had existed there, although they were destroyed or evacuated in said riots and war. In Zionism circles, including Christian Zionism, this is considered a valid defense or analysis of such "settlement". See also: Israeli Settlement Note: this page is mostly for disambiguation. When referring to the Bible Judea and Bible Samaria, link separately. When referring to this modern and disputed usage, link here. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.