Which West Bank?

An unusual email turned up in my inbox this morning. Until I got to the bottom of this, I could certainly understand this reader’s confusion.

From: …@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, May 8, 2018 at 4:10 AM
Subject: Feedback via the HR Red Alert [#2451]

Turns out it isn’t about Israel at all but, then why the headline?

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_efed6974-5230-11e8-8529-439adb3a629f.html

* * *

(That link to took me to a New Orleans Advocate report with this headline.)

My reply after unraveling this:

Thanks for writing. The Mississippi River divides the city of New Orleans. “West Bank” refers to municipal areas on the western side of the river while “East Bank” refers to municipal areas on the eastern side. Nothing to do with Israel. I hope this clarifies.

all the best,

Pesach Benson
HonestReporting

After hitting the send button, I realized I could’ve sent this reader links to the History Of Westbank Louisiana, the Advocate’s West Bank topics page and Wikipedia. I also discovered that Paris has a West Bank too. No bitter territorial disputes there.

Now you know . . .

Featured image: CC BY-NC-ND Daniel Horande;