Menachem Zivotovsky, 9 year old son of Dr. Ari Zivotovsky, is suing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in order to get his passport to list his birthplace as "Jerusalem, Israel". US policy, by Executive order, is to not include the "Israel" so as not to be seen as taking sides in an ongoing peace process.
The strange part of the US policy is that even when the child is born in West Jerusalem, technically not disputed land nor is it territory under negotiation, and the US officially recognizes West Jerusalem as being part of Israel and it's capital, the US still refuses to include the "Israel on the passport and birth certificate.
The case has been in the system for a number of years already. It is now preparing to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. Zivotovsky vs. Clinton. Oral arguments for the case will likely be heard in November 2011.
For more details about the case, see the website Born in Jerusalem.
While all of us living in Israel who have had kids born in Jerusalem have been subject to the same treatment, most of us just begrudgingly accept it, thinking there is nothing we can do about it. Zivotovsky decided to not just accept it, but to force the issue, to sue the Secretary of State.
Now you too can join the lawsuit, sort of, by adding your child's name, if born in Jerusalem, to the amicus brief. Add your voice.
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