# Arkansas passes bill to call West Bank “Judea and Samaria” **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 1, 2025, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743 "2025-05-01T09:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2025, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/41 "2025-05-03T08:41:11Z")
I’m not familiar with that one. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2025, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/42 "2025-05-03T09:22:15Z")
Democrats should pass a bill renaming Republicans “The Dumbass Party”. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/43 "2025-05-04T00:45:23Z")
> The Western Wall (or: Kotel, Buraq Wall, etc.) is often also called the Wailing Wall because Jewish people were perceived as crying, or wailing, at the location during prayers (this may have actually happened, though accounts vary). The crying could have been because of the loss of the holiest site in Judaism, or simply because it was emotional to be in the location held sacred by Jewish people for centuries. From here - [Wailing Wall | History, Location & Features | Study.com](https://study.com/academy/lesson/wailing-wall-overview-history-location-kotel.html#:~:text=The%20%22Wailing%20Wall%22%20(Western,of%20all%20three%20faith's%20histories.)) This is a common term among American evangelicals or it was among the ones who raised me back in the 60s and 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/44 "2025-05-04T05:43:57Z")
No, I know that the Western Wall is sometimes referred to as the “Wailing Wall” in English. I just don’t understand how the Evangelicals fit in. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/45 "2025-05-04T15:06:17Z")
Oh. The second coming of Jesus. The Temple has to be rebuilt so that can happen. The Western Wall is part of that story playing out the way they expect. They are very big on having supposed prophecy about this play out in a very specific way. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/46 "2025-05-04T15:13:14Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > They are very big on having supposed prophecy about this play out in a very specific way. With a side end goal of ridding the planet of Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/47 "2025-05-04T15:45:51Z")
It’s like you’ve never heard of multi-tasking! /s ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/48 "2025-05-04T17:05:04Z")
This reminds me of small towns in Britain during the Cold war, who would declare themselves “nuclear free zones”. Really? the local council in this small market town in the English countryside will no longer house a stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons or build any nuclear power stations. Wow! This will really shake the nuclear arms race to its core ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/49 "2025-05-04T18:03:51Z")
Oh. That. As if we don’t have enough religious craziness here, you Westerners have to come and impose your weirdo fanfic on us. Get a life, will you? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/50 "2025-05-04T18:06:25Z")
Those weirdos are trying to impose their fanfic on us too. That’s exactly why most of us have told them to fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/51 "2025-05-04T20:45:16Z")
Easy to do? NOT! Ol’beck…drowning in the bible belt! (One more cheery “have a blessed day!” And, I may lose my good manners) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/52 "2025-05-04T22:23:55Z")
Bless your heart. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/53 "2025-05-04T23:11:17Z")
I think the idea is that they like that name because they can’t conceive of any circumstance where someone might be happy while engaged in non-Christian prayer. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2025, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/54 "2025-05-05T02:15:06Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > This reminds me of small towns in Britain during the Cold war, who would declare themselves “nuclear free zones”. The city of Berkeley in the great state of California did the same in the 70s or 80s. Sometimes it’s just about making a statement rather than doing anything useful. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2025, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/55 "2025-05-05T08:21:09Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I think the idea is that they like that name because they can’t conceive of any circumstance where someone might be happy while engaged in non-Christian prayer. The funny thing is that besides some performative crying on certain holidays, since 1967 the whole “wailing” aspect of the Wall has been a thing of the past. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2025, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/56 "2025-05-05T09:26:42Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > With a side end goal of ridding the planet of Jews. So they want to get rid of the Jews, but _call_ the place Judea?? > [@Odesio](#): > > The city of Berkeley in the great state of California did the same in the 70s or 80s. Sometimes it’s just about making a statement rather than doing anything useful. That is a university town, and it was not merely a statement—well, it was, but the campus nuclear reactor was actually closed. But that is not really important compared to continued involvement in and management of facilities like Los Alamos, so whatever statement was not heard and definitely did nothing useful. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/57 "2025-05-06T19:59:18Z")
They did this because they are avoiding that thing called work. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/58 "2025-05-07T03:59:39Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Come on. There are not slaves in Arkansas. > > Maybe symbolic slaves. If that’s what you mean. > Not in the classic sense of enslaved blacks. In the sense of permitting individuals to have formal legal ownership of other human beings, no, you’re right, that’s not allowed in Arkansas. In the sense of people being physically forced to do work without pay, actually, slavery is not as extinct in Arkansas as you think. [From a January 2025 article:](https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2025/01/23/abolish-slavery-arkansas-bill) > [@](#): > > A bill moving through the Arkansas legislature would give Arkansans the opportunity to vote whether to fully ban slavery in the state […] > > Slavery is still allowed as punishment for a crime, meaning incarcerated people can be forced to work without pay. If the bill passes and voters approve, prisoners would have to be paid for their work. […] > > The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. except as punishment for a crime. > > Advocates say the exception has enabled the exploitation of people convicted of felonies, which disproportionately impacts Black people, who are imprisoned at nearly five times the rate of white people, according to a study by research and advocacy center The Sentencing Project. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/59 "2025-05-07T04:43:45Z")
We are not actually talking about incarcerated criminals, duly adjudicated. I’m surprised they ever paid inmates more than a pittance, anyway. They are in prison, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743/60 "2025-05-07T18:52:21Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > We are not actually talking about incarcerated criminals, duly adjudicated. Who’s “we”, and who says so? Maybe that’s not what you thought we were talking about. But perhaps that is exactly what songsoflovetrouble DID mean when they brought up the topic of “enslaved people” in Arkansas back in post #15. They haven’t been back in the thread since, AFAICT, so we can’t be sure. Also AFAICT, it is very common for prison reform advocates to emphasize the connections between unpaid forced labor by inmates and pre-Civil War chattel slavery. Up to and including [explicitly describing such unpaid forced labor in prisons as “legal enslavement”.](https://www.vera.org/news/its-2024-and-slavery-isnt-over-in-the-u-s) You may assume it’s no big deal for prisoners to be forced to work without compensation, but [historically it formed part of a deliberately engineered post-Reconstruction policy to maintain “slavery lite”:](https://www.aclu.org/news/human-rights/captive-labor-exploitation-of-incarcerated-workers) > [@](#): > > From the moment they enter the prison gates, incarcerated people lose the right to refuse to work. This is because the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects against slavery and involuntary servitude, explicitly excludes from its reach those held in confinement due to a criminal conviction. The roots of modern prison labor can be found in the ratification of this exception clause at the end of the Civil War, which disproportionately encouraged the criminalization and effective re-enslavement of Black people during the Jim Crow era, with impacts that persist to this day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arkansas-passes-bill-to-call-west-bank-judea-and-samaria/1017743.md?page=2)