U.S. Supreme Court closely divided on Jerusalem passport case

[Jefferson23]

The decision is likely to come down to Justice Anthony Kennedy, as the Court will decide whether Americans Jews born in Jerusalem may list Israel as their birthplace.

By Lawrence Hurley Nov. 3, 2014 | 10:58 PM

REUTERS - The U.S. Supreme Court appeared closely divided on Monday as it considered whether Congress overstepped its authority in passing a law designed to allow American citizens born in Jerusalem to have Israel listed as their birthplace on passports.

Congress passed the law in 2002 but the government has never enforced it. Seeking to remain neutral on the hotly contested issue of sovereignty over a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, the State Department allows passports to name Jerusalem as a place of birth, with no country name included.

The parents of a Jerusalem-born 12-year-old boy, U.S. citizen Menachem Zivotofsky, have waged a long court battle to have his passport state he was born in Israel.

At issue is the longstanding U.S. policy that the president, not Congress, has sole authority to provide American recognition of who controls Jerusalem, a city claimed both by Israelis and Palestinians.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.624444

[elleng]

1. Not surprised,

they didn't want the case, its largely political/diplomatic.

[Jefferson23]

2. The thing is, if the conservatives on this court go with the weight of the Congress deciding, it

will be in my mind a clear political dig at Obama as president because these guys love executive power/
privilege. This issue has been kept under Republican presidents as their right to determination and
not for the congress...even GW felt strongly about it. If this case had been heard under Bush,
the conservatives would not, in my opinion, be divided.