A recent incident involving a Canadian citizen's passport application has drawn sharp criticism regarding alleged political interference and discrimination within Passport Canada offices, focusing on the refusal to list the Israeli city of Kafar Saba as the applicant's place of birth.
Our client, a Canadian citizen, was told that her place of birth—Kfar Saba, Israel—could not appear on her passport "because of the political conflict."
No law supports this.
No regulation authorizes it.
No democracy should tolerate it.
Passports are not political documents.… pic.twitter.com/q5UERBeoVK
— Neil G. Oberman (@NeilOberman) November 13, 2025
Litigation lawyer Neil Oberman publicized the controversy, stating: "Our client, a Canadian citizen, was told that her place of birth, Kafar Saba Israel, could not appear on her passport because of the political conflict."
The applicant, whose goes by Anastasia on X, recounting her experience, noted that a Canadian Passports employee informed her: "I cannot put Israel as my place of birth on my Canadian passport." When questioned why, the employee replied, "because of the political conflict, we cannot put Israel on your passport."
A Canadian Passports employee told me they can not write Israel as my birth country. These are the clear consequences of the current government and leadership in power. Thank you @NeilOberman for supporting me and for your fight for truth and patriotism. pic.twitter.com/ffhCSbKujM
— Anastasia (@nastizor) November 13, 2025
The applicant described her confusion over the decision, asking the employee: "So if it was any other country written as my birth country, you could put that country in my passport, but only because it's Israel, you cannot put it there. And she says, 'Yes.'."
Oberman emphasized that the refusal was improper because Kafar Saba is not located in disputed territory, distinguishing it from previous legal challenges concerning other cities.
He further asserted that "the distinction here is that Kafar Saba is not in the disputed territories."
The lawyer argued that his client was entitled to have her city and country of origin listed correctly: "my client had a right to have her city and her country of origin Israel on her passport." Oberman deemed the situation "unacceptable in Canada today", noting that the client "had to fight to have her place of birth put on her identity document."
During the contentious application process, the applicant pressed the employees for clarification and policy proof. She was eventually told by staff that "since Prime Minister Mark Carney declared recognition of a Palestinian state, some cities are eligible to be put as Palestine as their birth country," listing cities such as "Nabulus, Janine, Ramla, Jerusalem."
Though the issue was eventually resolved, the applicant stressed the potential for discrimination: "In the end, after I questioned them and I asked to see exactly where it says what, they put Israel on my passport." However, she added, "if it was somebody in my shoes and they were told that they cannot put their of birth because of a political conflict. It's clear discrimination." She concluded that the incident demonstrated that she was "under some political influence by an employee from Passports Canada."
Oberman called for ministerial accountability regarding the conduct of the department, stating: "The reality is it's a lack of training on the part of the people at the passport office. It needs to be addressed by the minister responsible for this department. Period." He further warned: "good Canadians should be scared because when they're finished with the people that go to synagogue on Saturday, they're going to come after the people who go to church on Sunday and maybe the Hindu temple on Monday. The reality is it's a slippery slope, sir. It has to stop."
Oberman confirmed that the client, a "strong woman with strong credentials," was ultimately able to resolve the issue herself, though he stated he is committed to ensuring that "some poor person who doesn't have the same personality won't have to experience the indignity of what happened to her will happen to them."
Passport Canada has yet to officially comment on the incident.
