An incident in Montreal has raised concerns over the treatment of Jewish Canadians at passport offices after Anastasia Zorchinsky, a Canadian citizen born in Kfar Saba, Israel, reported being informed that she could not list Israel as her birthplace on her passport due to its designation as a “conflict zone.” In a video shared on November 13, Zorchinsky recounted that a passport office employee advised her that the country of birth could only be listed as Palestine, citing a new policy linked to Canada’s recognition of Palestine as a state.
Initially skeptical of the employee’s claims, Zorchinsky requested to see any official policy documentation to support the assertion. Instead, additional staff members merely reiterated the position, claiming it stemmed from the political situation surrounding Israel. Zorchinsky expressed her frustration over the absence of tangible documentation to back such significant claims, stating, “It was clear something was off.”
After further insistence from Zorchinsky, passport officials eventually conceded, permitting her to identify Israel as her birth country. She reflected on the potential impact had she not challenged the information, calling it “clear discrimination.”
Neil Oberman, Zorchinsky’s lawyer, emphasized that Jewish Canadians should not have to navigate such complications when seeking identification documents. He highlighted that the intersection of politics and government processing could discourage many individuals from advocating for their rights.
In contrast to Zorchinsky’s experience, Jeffrey MacDonald, a communications advisor for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, clarified that no changes had been made in policy regarding passport issuance for individuals born in Israel. He confirmed that Kfar Saba can be included in Canadian travel documents as part of Israel.
Oberman has taken action by writing to the passport office, demanding transparency regarding the policies affecting Zorchinsky’s case, and calling for improved training for employees to ensure they correctly understand and apply regulations without bias.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs has also stepped in, contacting the federal government to address what they labeled an “unacceptable” occurrence. Both Zorchinsky and her lawyer are advocating for systemic changes to prevent similar situations from arising in the future, with Oberman signaling that failure to receive a satisfactory response could lead to formal complaints to human rights organizations.
Zorchinsky is determined to seek justice not only for herself but to protect others from experiencing similar indignities surrounding their identification rights.