US to allow Jerusalem-born Americans to list ‘Israel’ as birthplace, Pompeo says

Washington (QNN)- US citizens born in occupied Jerusalem can now elect to list ‘Israel’ as their place of birth on their passports, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday.

“Those US citizens born in Jerusalem who do not specify their place of birth on applications for consular services as ‘Israel’ will continue to be issued documents that indicate their place of birth as ‘Jerusalem,'” the statement by Pompeo explains.

He also stated that “Other guidance on listing of place of birth in Israel, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, Jerusalem, and the West Bank remains unchanged.”

Pompeo also said that this decision was consistent with US President Donald Trump’s 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the occupation state and subsequently move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

He also called the Palestinians to participate in peace negotiations saying that he encourages them to come to the table and negotiate.

“As the President stated in his proclamation, the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and its seat of government but continues to take no position on the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem,” Pompeo said.

On Friday, David Friedman, US Ambassador to the occupation state, presented the first passport issued to an American citizen born in Jerusalem with the place of birth designated as ‘Israel’ to Menachem Zivotofsky.

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