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Jerusalem and the Politics of Unreality

(Washington Jewish Week) Editorial - Nine years ago, Menachem Zivotofsky (a U.S. citizen) was born in Jerusalem, Israel. But when his parents wanted his U.S. passport to accurately reflect where he had been born, they were told that because of controversy surrounding the eventual status of Jerusalem (due to the Arab-Israeli conflict), "Israel" would not be listed on their son's passport as the country of his birth. This occurred shortly after Congress enacted a law that said Americans born in Jerusalem are entitled to have Israel listed on their official papers as their birth country. While the case presents many legal complexities, there is one simple fact that cannot be disputed: Menachem Zivotofsky was born in Israel. As the boy's father recently stated in an interview: Even though "Jerusalem is subject to dispute as to its future status, its current status seems pretty clear. When the U.S. government mails its consular officials mail, they mail it to Jerusalem, Israel." Zivotofsky is right. We hope that the U.S. Supreme Court agrees.
2011-05-13 00:00:00
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