Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., April 24, 2008 Nisan 19, 5768 | | Israel Time: 04:13 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 12:34 25/02/2008
Canadian Jew loses bid to have passport show 'Jerusalem, Israel'
By Rhonda Spivak
Tags: canada, israel, jerusalem

OTTAWA - A Canadian Jew has lost his court battle to have his birthplace, Jerusalem, recognized as part of Israel on his Canadian passport.

The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal by Eliyahu Veffer, who wanted his passport to show that he was born in "Jerusalem, Israel," rather than "Jerusalem."

Veffer appealed to the Supreme Court after lower courts ruled that Canada's policy did not unreasonably violate his freedom of religion, nor did it unfairly discriminate against him.
Advertisement
"With the exception of Jerusalem, Canada's policy is that when a passport applicant is born in a city that is in disputed territory, the applicant is allowed to choose which country to include on his or her application. But for Jerusalem alone, Canada says you cannot put Israel, you cannot put Jordan, you cannot put anything," said David Matas, Veffer's lawyer.

Lawyers for the Canadian government argued that Canada did not want to show favoritism to either side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or prejudice a peaceful political settlement. In a court affidavit, former Canadian ambassador to Israel Michael Bell added that "Canada opposes Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over any part of the City of Jerusalem as defined in the UN Partition Plan."

In response, Matas said that Canada's current policy has only been in existence since April 1976. "From 1948-1976, Canada allowed Jerusalem, Israel in Canadian passports, for East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem, without any apparent impact on Canadian perceived neutrality," he said.

Matas did not take a position as to what the passport office ought to do if a Palestinian chose "Jerusalem, Palestine" for his passport. "That would be up to the passport office," Matas said. "But the problem would be that Palestine is not a country."

Related articles:
  • More Jewish World news and features
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Sex, lies and videotape
    3 Kibbutz Ein Gedi residents suspected of filming themselves raping Danish tourists.
    Big brother is watching
    An IDF soldier has been jailed for posting sensitive photos on Facebook.
      1.   Bravo! 03:45  |  Canadian 25/02/08
      2.   Way too liberal! 04:04  |  Vadim 25/02/08
      3.   Way to Go Canada 04:32  |  Abe 25/02/08
      4.   Cool! which proves that..... 04:32  |  David James Vickery 25/02/08
      5.   Kudos to Canada - The Harper Gov`t is only a phase 05:25  |  POP 25/02/08
      6.   Hmmm so they say "disputed" 05:47  |  Yoav 25/02/08
      7.   This `special` status for Jews and the Jewish state, reeks 05:50  |  Haldrik 25/02/08
      8.   1-5 Written by the Same Person 06:01  |  Ralph Levy 25/02/08
      9.   What happened from `48 to `76? 06:16  |  Rightster 25/02/08
      10.   Israel`s capital 06:37  |  Sam Tayar 25/02/08
      11.   Typical 06:44  |  Danite 25/02/08
      12.   I won`t stand on guard for thee 07:02  |  Steve 25/02/08
      13.   I won`t stand on guard for thee 07:04  |  Steve 25/02/08
      14.   OH CANADUH 07:34  |  Stevo 25/02/08
      15.   smille 07:44  |  wh 25/02/08
      16.   canadaDoesn`tWantToShowFavoritism 07:48  |  Yaacob 25/02/08
      17.   NOBODY SHOULD BE SURPRISED 07:57  |  indrajaya 25/02/08
      18.   Sam Tayer in Montreal 08:10  |  wibism 25/02/08
      19.   Neutral Canada 09:00  |  MR 25/02/08
      20.   # 10 you`re absolutely right, sam tayer... 09:02  |  eric 25/02/08
      21.   # 8 Pompous American 09:09  |  Maudit Canadienne 25/02/08
      22.   kill people over cartoons and this is result -cowards 09:13  |  don 25/02/08
      23.   #6 It can be both "disputed" and "occupied", Yoav 09:18  |  Johnboy 25/02/08
      24.   always trying the backdoor 09:27  |  VIPER 25/02/08
      25.   One point for the good guys 09:32  |  anti-racist 25/02/08
      26.   TO VIPER 10:22  |  Ezra 25/02/08
      27.   Anti racist`s answer 10:45  |  myself 25/02/08
      28.   FINISH TERROR PALESTINE, SAY A CLEAR "NO" TO PALESTATE! 10:57  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 25/02/08
      29.   It`s OK,Quebec isn`t Canadian,it`s a disputed territory between 11:38  |  Absolute Sweden 25/02/08
      30.   Canada - Who cares?? 11:38  |  Greg 25/02/08
      31.   Indrajaya et al 11:48  |  Michael 25/02/08
      32.   #26, EZRA, and thats your problem 11:53  |  VIPER 25/02/08
      33.   AND IF IT WERE AN ARAB? 12:08  |  AL SADAT 25/02/08
      34.   Jerusalem is Jewish and will remain Jewish. 12:11  |  Jean Van Daem 25/02/08
      35.   Canada supports Arab terrorists 12:14  |  SLAVO 25/02/08
      36.   # 31, MICHAEL 12:15  |  indrajaya 25/02/08
      37.   BRAVO CANADA 12:23  |  Markus 25/02/08
      38.   johnboy 12:28  |  jimmy 25/02/08
      39.   Jerusalem is not negotiable 12:34  |  jojo 25/02/08
      40.   SEND ALL ARABS TO CANADA`S DISPUTED INDIAN TERRITORY,BUILD GAZA,R 12:45  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 25/02/08
      41.   #17 12:45  |  Mike 25/02/08
      42.   # 41, MIKE 12:54  |  indrajaya 25/02/08
      43.   Double-standards 12:55  |  Mike 25/02/08
      44.   Montreal, Canada? 12:57  |  Jo Jo 25/02/08
      45.   #24 13:06  |  Mike 25/02/08
      46.   Israel, ban: "Born in Montreal, Canada" 13:09  |  AliciaYasmeen 25/02/08
      47.   No surprise 14:19  |  Jean 25/02/08
      48.   It goes without saying .... 14:33  |  pipistro 25/02/08
      49.   Philadelphia, England & Los Angeles, Mexico 14:35  |  Chris 25/02/08
      50.   In Canada, Religious Land Theft is not cool, unlike in Israel... 14:45  |  POP 25/02/08
      51.   #2 14:47  |  Moshe 25/02/08
      52.   #4 David 14:50  |  Moshe 25/02/08
      53.   You can`t nick land and then hope for your theft to be accepted 15:12  |  Clickfool 25/02/08
      54.   #47 Jean 15:13  |  Moshe 25/02/08
      55.   #27 `myself` 15:19  |  Boycott 25/02/08
      56.   #49 Chris 15:24  |  Boycott 25/02/08
      57.   Montreal, Quebec 15:49  |  Stefan 25/02/08
      58.   Jerusalemite got lucky 16:08  |  Jeff 25/02/08
      59.   Ralph Levy - You are too funny 16:25  |  Canadian 25/02/08
      60.   Chris: ISRAEL can say what it wants..NO one is following 16:26  |  American Sandwich 25/02/08
      61.   North America - Native America 16:28  |  Zevchi 25/02/08
      62.   #36 IndoBoyo & "OK by him" 16:30  |  Joe Moer 25/02/08
      63.   #42 16:31  |  Mike 25/02/08
      64.   #36 IndoBoyo & "OK by him" 16:33  |  Joe Moer 25/02/08
      65.   What we can expect...we`d rather stay&use israeli passport and 16:36  |  Alain 25/02/08
      66.   #36, Indrajaya 16:36  |  Michael 25/02/08
      67.   Jerusalem is Palestinian 4ever 16:39  |  George 25/02/08
      68.   Compromise 16:40  |  DoubleClick 25/02/08
      69.   If he doesn`t like it 16:40  |  Paul Wood 25/02/08
      70.   NOT EVEN THE US ACKNOWLEDGES JER. AS PART OF ISRAEL 17:13  |  FACT 25/02/08
      71.   For now, Canadian response is correct... 17:23  |  Smadar 25/02/08
      72.   Second class citizens? Or new canadian borders? 17:24  |  amateur cartographer 25/02/08
      73.   THIS IS A SAD DAY FOR LAND THIEVES 17:24  |  TripleJump