Man launches court battle to have 'Jerusalem, Israel' as birthplace on passport
An 18-year-old Toronto man has launched a legal challenge against Ottawa, accusing the federal government of discrimination because it will not allow his Canadian passport to be changed to indicate that his birthplace â Jerusalem â is part of Israel.
"I feel that the government is rejecting and denying my religious belief in the significance of Jerusalem to the Jewish religion," Eliyahu Veffer wrote on his court affidavit.
Because of the conflict over control of Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians, immigrants to Canada who were born in Jerusalem are issued passports that have only the city listed as their birthplace, without any reference to a country. Veffer wants the birthplace on his passport to read, "Jerusalem, Israel."
The case is being heard in a federal court in Winnipeg.
Veffer, his father, a Toronto rabbi, his mother and five siblings moved to Canada about eight years ago.
"There are many other people who believe the same way," said Veffer's lawyer David Matas. "It's a matter of freedom of religion, equality, freedom of political opinion."
Matas said with the exception of Jerusalem, Canada's policy is that when a city is disputed territory, the passport applicant is allowed to choose which country to include.
But lawyers for the federal government say the status of Jerusalem has been in dispute since 1948, when the state of Israel came into existence.
They say Canada's policy is similar to other countries â to let the Israelis and Palestinians negotiate their competing claims of sovereignty over the city.
Until then, a change in Canada's policy could show favouritism to the Israeli side and prejudice a peaceful political settlement, the lawyers claim.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay admitted it's a complicated issue.
"We do not identify Jerusalem as being in Israel or in Palestine," he said. "That's something that has to be resolved in the context of the larger issues outstanding in the Middle East."
The federal court also heard from a coaliton called Canadians for Jerusalem, made up mostly of Muslim groups, but also including some Christians and Jews.
The group said Jerusalem is significant to all three monotheistic faiths. They say that Canada would be playing a dangerous political game if it allowed Veffer and others to identify Jerusalem as part of Israel on a passport.
"A Canadian passport, it's not a billboard to project your religion," said Mohamed Boudjenane, a spokesman for the group.
"The Canadian passport is a travel document."