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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Tue Jul 23, 2013, 08:01 PM Jul 2013

U.S. Court Rules: Americans Born In Jerusalem Cannot List 'Israel' As Place Of Birth

A federal appeals court on Tuesday invalidated a U.S. law that was designed to allow American citizens born in Jerusalem to choose to have Israel listed as their birthplace on passports contrary to long-standing U.S. foreign policy.

Ari and Naomi Zivotofsky, whose son Menachem was born in Jerusalem and is a U.S. citizen, filed a lawsuit in 2003 demanding that the government enforce the law.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the president - and not lawmakers - had sole authority to say who controls the historic holy city claimed by Israelis and Palestinians.

In the U.S. government, the president "exclusively holds the power to determine whether to recognize a foreign sovereign," wrote Judge Karen Henderson for the panel.

Since the founding of Israel in 1948, U.S. presidents have declined to state a position on the status of Jerusalem, leaving it as one of the thorniest issues to be resolved in possible future peace talks.

MORE...

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.537530

9 replies

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U.S. Court Rules: Americans Born In Jerusalem Cannot List 'Israel' As Place Of Birth (Original Post) Purveyor Jul 2013 OP

I guess, when it comes to Israel , JimDandy Jul 2013 #1

i'm confused Enrique Jul 2013 #2

This has always been US policy RudynJack Jul 2013 #3

That makes sense. Crunchy Frog Jul 2013 #4

I guess azurnoir Jul 2013 #5

I have never seen those claims Ruby the Liberal Jul 2013 #6

well azurnoir Jul 2013 #7

Thats the BBC reporting on the UK Olympics Ruby the Liberal Jul 2013 #8

I was going more on the responses here and the very fact that it was a azurnoir Jul 2013 #9

JimDandy

(7,318 posts)

1. I guess, when it comes to Israel ,

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Jul 23, 2013, 08:21 PM

Jul 2013

every little thing is a point of contention.

Enrique

(27,461 posts)

2. i'm confused

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Jul 23, 2013, 08:54 PM

Jul 2013

RudynJack

(1,044 posts)

3. This has always been US policy

Reply to Enrique (Reply #2)

Tue Jul 23, 2013, 08:57 PM

Jul 2013

under Presidents of both parties. The US does not recognize Jerusalem as Israeli territory.

The constitution says the president shall "receive ambassadors" and Presidents since Truman have interpreted that to mean that the President gets to decide which countries (and borders) we recognize.

This is coming up now as a right-wing attack on Obama, when in fact, every President since the creation of Israel has taken this approach.

Crunchy Frog

(26,628 posts)

4. That makes sense.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Jul 23, 2013, 09:49 PM

Jul 2013

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)

5. I guess

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Tue Jul 23, 2013, 11:48 PM

Jul 2013

East Jerusalem is not recognized as Israel's capital after all, I've seen claims that it is, at least by the US

Ruby the Liberal

(26,219 posts)

6. I have never seen those claims

Reply to azurnoir (Reply #5)

Wed Jul 24, 2013, 07:00 PM

Jul 2013

The Embassy is on the Promenade in Tel Aviv. Their is a small consulate in Jerusalem though - mostly handles tourist issues like lost passports.

On the flipside, I have friends who moved here from Ramallah 3 years ago. Their 19 year old son was born in Hebron, but his US ID says "Jordan". They were given the choice of Egypt or Jordan as he was born in the territories.