The US Supreme Court began hearing arguments today on whether US citizens born in Jerusalem can list “Jerusalem, Israel” as a birthplace in their passports.
At the heart of this issue of bureaucratic record-keeping is both the unsolved status of one of the most viciously contested cities on earth, and serious legal questions about the US Congress’ authority to overrule the president on matters of foreign policy.
The legal case — Zivotofsky v. Kerry — was brought by the American parents of 12-year-old Menachem Zivotofsky against the US Department of State, which refused to list Jerusalem, Israel as the boy’s birthplace.
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