West Bank

[ west bangk ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an area in the Middle East, between the west bank of the Jordan River and the eastern frontier of Israel: occupied in 1967 and subsequently claimed by Israel, with limited Palestinian self-rule in Palestinian-held sectors; formerly held by Jordan.

West Bank

noun

the West Bank
a semi-autonomous Palestinian region in the Middle East on the W bank of the River Jordan, comprising the hills of Judaea and Samaria and part of Jerusalem: formerly part of Palestine (the entity created by the League of Nations in 1922 and operating until 1948): became part of Jordan after the ceasefire of 1949: occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. In 1993 a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization provided for the West Bank to become a self-governing Palestinian area; a new Palestinian National Authority assumed control of parts of the territory in 1994–95, but subsequent talks broke down and Israel reoccupied much of this in 2001–02 and continues to maintain most existing Israeli settlements. Pop: 2 676 740 (2013 est). Area: 5879 sq km (2270 sq miles)

West Bank

Land on the west bank of the Jordan River (see also Jordan River ), formerly in the hands of Jordan , but captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel has agreed to hand over part of the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority , but the Israeli government has been widely criticized for continuing to move civilian settlers as well as soldiers into the area. In 2001, in response to terrorist suicide bombings ( see terrorism ), Israel staged heavy military strikes against Palestinian cities in the West Bank.

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Example Sentences

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Hamas and the PA have been bitterly divided for decades, with their rift ensuring that no unified Palestinian leadership in both the West Bank and Gaza has been able to emerge.

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A defining image of his trip came at an unscheduled stop off in Bethlehem when he prayed for peace by the graffitied wall that forms part of Israel's West Bank barrier.

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For the same reason, the Israel Defense Forces now refer to just about anyone they kill in Gaza or on the West Bank as a “terrorist.”

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American intellectual culture has never had a good track record when it comes to protecting critics of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

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“The Teacher” was shot on location in the West Bank and the arid landscapes and homes captured by cinematographer Gilles Porte feel true to Palestinian life, making for an arresting visual statement.

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West Babylon West Bend

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