A Montreal woman has raised concerns after federal officials initially denied her the right to list Israel as her birthplace on her passport. Anastasia Zorchinsky, a Canadian citizen born in Kfar Saba, Israel, reported that Service Canada employees informed her that due to "political conflict," they could not include Israel in her passport. Instead, they suggested she could list her birthplace as Palestine, which Zorchinsky found unacceptable.

Zorchinsky and her lawyer, Neil Oberman, believe this situation may be linked to Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent recognition of Palestine as a state. After Zorchinsky challenged the decision, officials at the passport office eventually agreed to issue her passport with Israel listed as her birthplace. She shared this update in a November 29 Instagram post.

On November 12, Oberman sent a letter to the Montreal passport office and Service Canada seeking clarification on the incident. He received a response from Cliff Groen, the chief operating officer for Service Canada, which he described as lacking substance. "While we appreciate the quick response, it was an apology but not an apology. It did not offer an explanation," Oberman stated in an interview.

Zorchinsky expressed her concern that such an incident should not happen to anyone else, calling it "abnormal" and "not okay." She criticized Groen's response as "totally insufficient," prompting her and Oberman to draft a follow-up letter on November 27. In this letter, Oberman highlighted that Groen acknowledged the possibility of confusion among passport staff but did not clarify why staff had created justifications that lacked policy backing.

Oberman reiterated his request for the policy documents that guided the passport office's actions. He also sought confirmation of an internal review of the incident. If a satisfactory response is not received by mid-December, he plans to file complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the federal ombudsperson, as well as consider a judicial review application in Federal Court.

Oberman emphasized that the situation was not merely a clerical error but rather the application of non-existent rules. He noted that the federal government's recognition of Palestine without consulting Canadians may have contributed to this incident, allowing individuals with anti-Israel sentiments to act with impunity. He asserted that this issue transcends Jewish concerns, stating, "All Canadians have the right to government service without the influence of geopolitics."

Zorchinsky's experience has resonated with others, prompting Canadians to share similar stories. Oberman indicated that they are gathering these accounts to evaluate potential further legal action in the future.