A group of American Evangelical Christian leaders this week signed a declaration in which they urge Israel to assert full sovereignty over the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria (what the world called the “West Bank”), and for the Trump administration to support this move.

The declaration is an initiative of the umbrella organization American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), which unites dozens of Israel-loving Christian organizations and ministries representing tens of millions of Christians.

The declaration, which was ratified at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention in Dallas, labels the two-state solution a failed experiment

In addition to detailing the profound biblical significance of Judea and Samaria, the declaration points out that the October 7, 2023 terrorist invasion of Israel and the situation in Gaza had demonstrably demonstrated that a Palestinian state is not a viable solution to the conflict.

Explained ACLI Director Dr. Susan Michael:

“It is not a solution. It is an illusion. Gaza was essentially a Palestinian state and look at what it produced. Why does the Western world continue to push Israel to give up territory for a Palestinian state? Gaza proved it will not work. We’ve been quiet for a while on this issue, but now is the moment to speak up—and with this administration. All we’re asking is that the powers of the world stop pressuring Israel to give up Judea and Samaria.”

ACLI is a project of the USA Branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. ICEJ Senior Vice President David Parsons added:

“The time is right for a new approach in which we as Christians join with the people of Israel and encourage them to reassert their sovereignty, their claim and superior title to Judea and Samaria.”

Citing the Balfour Declaration, the San Remo Conference, and the League of Nations mandate, Parsons noted that historically, the international community “recognized that the Jewish people held that claim. They didn’t create some new right or claim for the Jewish people in the land–they recognized that the Jews had a historic, spiritual, and legal connection to this land that was preexisting.”

As such, explained Parsons, the Christians aren’t encouraging Israel to annex Judea and Samaria, because “as a legal principle, you cannot annex something that you already own.”

After signing the declaration, ACLI sent it to President Donald Trump.

Trump promised back in February that he would soon make clear his position on the future of Judea and Samaria, and thus on the issue of a “Palestinian state.” The ACLI hopes to influence that position by taking a clear stand on who controls Judea and Samaria. Bible-believing Christians have so far played a major role in shaping the policies of this and the previous Trump administration, and that is particularly true in regard to support for Israel.

It should be noted that while a majority of Israeli Jews today oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, a large portion of Israelis still reject the notion of directly ruling over the large Arab population in Judea and Samaria. Though the events of Oct. 7, 2023 have pushed most Israelis in that direction. Polls consistently show that the Gaza invasion of southern Israel convinced most Israelis of what the ACLI leadership stated in its declaration: A Palestinian state is no solution. It’s suicide.

A survey conducted in late January found that nearly 70% of Israelis today support extending sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

Two weeks ago, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana insisted that full control over the territory was the “one and only way” to achieve peace in the region.

“These biblical, original parts of our land, which in the Bible tells the story of our people, are intended for us, for the people of Israel, need to be in the territory of the State of Israel, under the ownership of Israel, under full Israeli sovereignty,” said Ohana, a lawmaker for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party, during a visit to northern Samaria.

“Today, this thing is clearer than ever,” Ohana added. “On the 7th of October, not only Israeli citizens were murdered but also the idea that was mistakenly called ‘the two-state solution.’”