Jews are Indigenous to Judea and Samaria

What is conveniently ignored during discussions about the future of Judea and Samaria is that not only are Jews indigenous to the area but Jews hold indigenous rights in Judea and Samaria. Israel is not an occupying power in a legal sense although there is an Israeli military administration over part of the area. Restorative indigenous communities are misleadingly described as “settlements” despite the Jewish presence in the area stretching back four thousand years. Together with the Samaritans are the Jews the sole indigenous population of Judea and Samaria. Jews and Samaritans are furthermore entitled to self-determination in Judea and Samaria as the indigenous population in the area. It is not surprising that the international community ignores these facts. Is not denying indigenous rights typical of the approach of most governments towards indigenous peoples? Zionism is a success story as an indigenous movement in having revived the indigenous language (Hebrew) of the Jews and the Samaritans and in successfully redeeming land lost to imperialists and colonialists.