OTTAWA (AFP) — A Canadian immigrant has lost his court battle to have his birthplace, Jerusalem, recognized as part of Israel on his passport as Ottawa insists it must remain neutral on the contested holy city.
The Supreme Court refused Thursday to hear the appeal of Eliyahu Veffer, who immigrated to Canada about 12 years ago and wanted his Canadian passport to show he was born in "Jerusalem, Israel."
"The decision means that Veffer has no further legal remedy in Canada for the differential treatment he faces under the policy," David Matas, Veffer's attorney, said in a statement.
Veffer's passport states only his birth city with no reference to any country because Canada does not want to be seen as taking sides in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over claims to the holy city, officials said.
Matas argued unsuccessfully in federal court that Canada allows people to choose which state appears in their passport if a birth city is in disputed territory. But Jerusalem is an exception to this policy.
Ottawa contends the status of Jerusalem, which is important to three major religions -- Judaism, Islam and Christianity -- has been disputed since 1948 when the state of Israel came into existence.
The city, which dates back some 5,000 years, holds several places of religious significance, including the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site; the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built where Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified and buried; and the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque where Mohammed is said to have briefly ascended to heaven.
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim it as their capital or future capital.
Until the claims of sovereignty over the city are settled, officials said, Canada would continue its current passport policy, to avoid showing favoritism to either side and prejudicing a peaceful political settlement.
Matas said these reasons "are unpersuasive."
"I feel that the government is rejecting and denying my religious belief in the significance of Jerusalem to the Jewish religion," Veffer wrote in a court affidavit at the start of his legal fight in April 2006.
"My religion teaches me that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel."
Mohammed Boudjenane, on behalf of the multi-faith group Canadians for Jerusalem, countered then: "A Canadian passport is not a billboard to project your religion."
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
