The judges in Canada can’t read a map.
An 18-year-old man who was born in Jerusalem has lost his legal battle to have Israel shown as his birthplace on his Canadian passport.
In a decision released Monday, the Federal Court ruled the government is justified in its policy of listing “Jerusalem” alone on passports because the city’s status is unresolved.
Canada has never recognized Israel’s 1967 annexation of Jerusalem. Although Israel calls Jerusalem its eternal capital, almost all foreign embassies have remained firmly planted in Tel Aviv.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t half of Jerusalem wind up in Israeli territory prior to 1967?
Jerusalem-born Eliyahu Veffer, a Grade 12 student in Toronto, wanted Canada to recognize his birthplace as part of Israel.
“The fact that I was born there, in Israel, to me that’s a fulfillment of the Jews saying for years, thousands of years, ‘next year in Jerusalem,’ ” Veffer said. “That had been fulfilled with me by being born there.”Faraj Nakhleh, acting president of the Canadian Arab Federation, said his group sees things differently.
“If he were born in Tel Aviv, it would have been fair – according to what Canada recognizes – to put Tel Aviv, Israel. The gentleman in question was born in a disputed city. Canada recognizes Jerusalem as a city under military occupation.”
Apparently not, according to Canada. And here’s a pretty funny quote:
The government of Canada argued that since the same rule would apply to a Muslim or Christian born in Jerusalem, there is no discrimination on religious grounds.
Justice Konrad von Finckenstein ruled that a change in policy might be misconstrued as a softening of Canada’s position toward Israel’s occupation, and could harm Canada’s ability to act as an honest broker for peace in the Middle East.
The judge ruled that “passports do not deal with, nor are they a reflection of, a person’s roots, heritage or belief.”
Passports are supposed to be accurate purveyors of information about the person to whom they belong. Eliyahu Veffer was born in Jerusalem, Israel. That would seem to contradict the judge’s statements about “a person’s roots.”
But then, this is Canada, land of the politically correct. Over to you, Damian. It’s your turf.
Yes, half of Jerusalem is inside the 1949 armistice lines. The UN’s 1947 partition plan made all of Jerusalem an international city, under jurisdiction of neither Israel nor the Arab state. When the UN adopted the plan, Jordan responded by blockading the old city and starving out its Jewish inhabitants, some of whose families had lived there for centuries. The world did nothing to break the blockade, and did nothing when Jordan illegally invaded East Jerusalem. But those same countries will tell you that Israel’s right to even West Jerusalem is not established.
Why isn’t Israel offering to recognize Quebec as an independent country, occupied by Canadian forces?
Unfortunately, it’s not just our neighbors to the north. The U.S. State Department still refuses to list Israel as the country of birth of U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem. This despite the fact that, back in February 2002, President Bush signed into law a provision that ostensibly required such recognition. What’s the catch? Bush stated that he regarded that particular provision as “advisory only,” completely contrary to the intent and clear meaning of the law.
More detail here. (Or if you want to read my old 2002 rant on the subject, it’s here.)
Go figure.
The same General Assembly resolution that the Palestinian Arabs cite for the “right of return” under “international law” also provides that Jerusalem should be under international jurisdiction rather than part of a Jewish or Arab state. Jerusalem, under the UN definition, is a rather broad area; it includes Bethlehem and Abu Dis, regions that the Palestinian Arabs would not think of ceding.
Well since the Arabs of Palestine started a war instead of accepting that resolution they haven’t got any right to claim its provisions now. And when Jordan made war on Israel in 1967 it lost any claim on Jerusalem when it was defeated.
When you start a genocidal war to destroy a country and annihilate its people, as the Arabs did, and lose, as the Arabs did, you may expect to lose some land. Anyone who is in any doubt about this is invited to travel to Poland and look for signs of German habitation in Silesia, Pomerania, and East Prussia.
Time for everybody to accept the fact that the Arabs have lost their attempt at genocide and let Israel live in peace with Jerusalem as its capital It is particularly important for the Palestinian Arabs to do this, lest with their nihilistic terrorism, that violates international law, they drive Israel into telling them “Okay, everybody out”.