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US Supreme Court to look at 'born in Jerusalem' passport case
Associated Press
Published: 21.04.14, 18:43
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22 Talkbacks for this article
1. So what?!
Mike Carmel ,   Rishon le Zion   (04.21.14)
Obviously this young chap's father must have money to burn if he is hiring a Washington lawyer, who presumably isn't cheap, just so the word "Israel" can appear on his son's AMERICAN passport. Who cares what it says on the passport? That's for the American authorities to decide. British passports don't even list the country of birth. Mine just says Liverpool and my wife's says Hadera. This really is a trivial matter of no importance whatsoever.
2. This scandalous case should fully show US as the dis"honest"
tom ,   tel aviv   (04.21.14)
broker it always has been. Obama just "made it" in the open ("why don't we do it in the road"?) :-)) Maybe THAT's what we should be grateful for: thank you Hussein Barack!
3. Jerusalem is a disputed territory
Yeoshua F. ,   N.Y   (04.21.14)
The U.S should not consider Americans born in Jerusalem as ¨born in Israel¨, neither should it consider Israelis born in Jerusalem as born in Israel, until the legal dispute over Jerusalem is resolved. This is a matter for the international court of law to decide, and the settler´s lobby cannot bribe it´s way out of this one.
4. Whose idea was it anyway?
manicdrummer ,   Haifa, Israel   (04.21.14)
Who in Washington DC came up with the idea that Jerusalem should not be recognized as a legitimate birthplace? And what is the purpose? Who are they trying to inconvenience and to what end?
5. To: No. 4
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.21.14)
The point is to list a Jerusalem-born U.S. passport holder as having been born in ISRAEL, and not just JERUSALEM. The United States Department of State is very concerned about the feelings of Arabs. The really don't think Israel should have had the temerity to win all six of the wars which the Arabs started. Too bad for them.
6. To: No. 1
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.21.14)
I'm sure that Lewin took the case pro bono.
7. US has always bent under Muslim blackmail
CJK   (04.21.14)
jerusalem was never the capital of any muslim or arab sovereign in all of history. jerusalem was conquered by arab muslims in the seventh century but muslims never attached any importance to jerusalem. to the contrary, jerusalem has been the seat of spiritual and physical center of judaism since the times of king david. the first jewish temple was built by david's son, king solomon three thousand years ago. the first temple was destroyed by conquering babylonians and re-built by returning jewish exiles with the prophets ezra and nechamia in the sixth century bc. jerusalem remained the capital city of judah even during the period of babylonian exile. hence, jerusalem was the actual capital city of the jews for a thousand years before the roman destruction of the second temple and the exile of the jews. jerusalem, however, remained the spiritual and physical center of judaism all through the period of exile. jewish sages and scholars continued to live in jerusalem, just as in zfat and tverias. there is nothing that the muslims can produce which will negate jewish historical ties to jerusalem and to the land of israel. the second jewish temple was built by returning exiles from babylon.
8.  Law passed over the objection of President Bush...
Steve Klein   (04.21.14)
....is why I did NOT vote to re-elect President George W. Bush in 2004. Yes, yes I know Obama is worse, but I did not vote for Barack Obama. Bush became the first American president to make the establishment of a Palestinian state in Israel a "formal goal of U.S. policy." Why my fellow Republicans called Bush Israel's best friend ever is beyond me.
9. Jerusalem in Passports
Aliza Josephson ,   Bethesda, MD, U.S.A.   (04.22.14)
I was born in Jerusalem before the establishment of the State of Israel. My American passport lists my place of birth as ISRAEL My daughter was born in Jerusalem in the sixties, and her American birth certificate lists her place of birth as JERUSALEM.
10. #3, you don't know squat.Entire Middle East is disputed land
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (04.21.14)
11. No Point in Reading Tea Leaves, But . . .
Bill ,   New York, USA   (04.21.14)
It does not bode well for the Obama Administration that the Supreme Court has decided to hear the case. If the Supreme Court wanted to send a message that executive authority is so clear that it is beyond question, all they had to do was deny "cert" (let the Circuit Court decision stand without even discussing the issue). Unless there was a "split" in the Circuits, the Supreme Court's involvement was entirely unnecessary. The fact that the Supreme Court decided to hear the case means either (1) on a legally uncontroversial issue, they still wanted to get their thoroughly-written opinions on the record or (2) they think the Circuit Court was wrong. What do you think is more likely? Sure there's no point in speculating about a question that will have an answer in a bit more than a year, but why not?
12. Why should he bother?
N ,   N   (04.21.14)
The boy is a US citizen. His rights aren't infringed if his US passport tells that he has been born in Jerusalem. Everyone who recognizes Jerusalem as part of Israel will accept his future statement: I've been born in Israel. Why should he bother about those who don't recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel? The boys constitutional rights are not infringed! It is a petty technicality.
13. 10 not mine.
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (04.22.14)
14. #7 AIPAC is doing exactly the same thing
Rau   (04.22.14)
15. U.S. must recognize Jerusalem,Israel!
Benny ,   Iran   (04.22.14)
It is critical that the U.S. which sits on a higher moral ground than most rabid anti-semites, declare Jerusalem as the eternal undisputed undeniable capital of Israel. Its time for a country with "moral character" to adopt this permanently. Every country has a capital. Why deny to appease terrorists!
16. Jerusalem/Israeli passport
Avril ,   Israel   (04.22.14)
Does this law apply to everyone, whether Muslim,Christian or Jewish. Anyone born in Jerusalem????
17. To: Bill at No. 11
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.22.14)
My guess would be that they are looking to reverse. Reigning in the power of the president to craft legislation, mostly because the current president has a nasty tendency to rule by fiat and presidential directive. Obama has trespassed on Congressional turf one time too many. Assuming the same Court as sits today, I see this coming down 6-3; Ginsburg, Kagan and Sotomayor in the minority. I've been surprised before, though.
18. To: Avril at No. 16
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.22.14)
Yes. Israel formally annexed East Jerusalem and environs in late June 1967. Anyone born in Jerusalem that holds a United States passport has "Jerusalem" designated on his or her passport, not Israel. It should be "Israel," because American passports require that the nation of birth be listed, and Jerusalem is not a nation. It is the undivided capital of the State of Israel.
19. There is no such "Presidential Power" to recognize countries
Dr. L. Brnd ,   San Diego, USA   (04.22.14)
The US Constitution specifies that the President shall form US foreign policy "WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE CONGRESS". Some power-hungry US presidents have sought to ignore the famous "advice and consent" clause of the law. Congress made it very clear in the 1995 Jerusalem Recognition Act that it expects the executive branch to treat united Jerusalem and the capital of Israel and only of Israel. Congress' "advice" is that Obama recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He does not have its "consent" to refuse to do so. The law allows the president to suspend the execution of the Congress' wishes only as long as he certifies [every 6 months] that the PA is negotiating a sensitive peace agreement in good faith with the Israelis. If Abbas dismantles the PA or annuls the Oslo Accords, the US president is required to move the US Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem - or face impeachment for falsely certifying to Congress that the PA is continuing to negotiate in good faith. This is why the Obama regime is panic-stricken at the prospect that Abbas might close down the PA.
20. Re: My post at No. 17
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.22.14)
First line: for "reigning," please read "reining." Apologies to all. His steroid-inflated ego notwithstanding, Obama is not royalty.
21. To: No. 9
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.22.14)
How could you be born in a country that did not at the time exist? I've seen U.S. passports -- issued to U.S. citizens who were born in present-day Israel before the re-establishment of the modern State -- that say "Palestine" as place of birth, but I have NEVER seen "Israel" listed for place of birth for someone born prior to May 14, 1948. How did you get to be the exception?
22. #21 Re #9, she's talking about her own passport
Jake   (04.25.14)
and her daughter's. You're talking abougt others' passports you claim to have seen. It's your "word" against hers, and somehow she sounds a lot more believable.
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