U.S. Supreme Court: Federal judges to rule on ‘Jerusalem, Israel’ passport case

[Jefferson23]

Court rules that the American parents of a boy born in Jerusalem can argue that their son's U.S. passport may list Israel as his birthplace.

By Natasha Mozgovaya

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the American parents of a boy born in Jerusalem can go to court in order to argue that their son's U.S. passport may list Israel as his birthplace.

Due to the State Department's long-standing policy, nine-year-old Menachem Zivotofsky's birth certificate, and thus his passport, show Jerusalem with no specified country of birth.

U.S. law, which actually allows passports to list “Jerusalem, Israel”, has existed since 2002. However, like Congress’ decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, it was never implemented.

Monday's Supreme Court decision allows the lower courts to deal with a case which they previously rejected as meddling with the U.S. foreign policy.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-supreme-court-federal-judges-to-rule-on-jerusalem-israel-passport-case-1.420866

[aranthus]

1. I'm surprised.

Last edited Tue Mar 27, 2012, 05:10 PM - Edit history (1)

The prior rule strikes me as the better one. It's a question of foreign policy that the courts should not meedle in.