The head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, addressed a public letter to Defense Minister Israel Katz calling for a change in the official name of COGAT. The currently used abbreviation stands for “Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.” Dagan insists that the English title should henceforth be “Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea and Samaria.” According to Dagan, the term “Territories” constitutes a moral and historical injustice and weakens the narrative of the millennia-old Jewish connection to the land.

Contradicting historical reality

In his letter, Dagan pointed out that an official state naming commission had already determined in 1968 that the region should be called by its historical name. He argued that clinging to the term “Territories” is not only ahistorical but also weakens Israeli narratives and unintentionally strengthens anti-Israel perspectives. Dagan had already made this demand to Katz about six months ago—until now without any response from the Ministry of Defense.

Dagan also referred to ongoing initiatives in the United States, where several state legislatures are set to officially adopt the term “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank.” While legislative progress is being made there, the corresponding official adjustment in Israel is being delayed, Dagan said. He explicitly called on the Defense Minister to end this “saga” and officially implement the renaming.

The COGAT unit is an authority within the Ministry of Defense that, since the 1967 Six-Day War, has been responsible for civilian and humanitarian affairs as well as coordination between Israeli authorities and the Palestinian Arab population. It plays a central role in the administration of infrastructure projects, the issuance of work and travel permits, and the coordination of international aid measures.

The debate over the authority’s name is part of a broader discussion about state and territorial names in connection with the conflict over Judea and Samaria, which is internationally most commonly referred to as the “West Bank.” Within Israel itself, among parts of the population and political leaders, there is growing demand to use names that express the historical and biblical Jewish connection to the region.

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