A Jewish woman from Montreal is speaking out after a shocking encounter at a Canadian passport office, where she was informed she could not list Israel as her country of birth, with an official suggesting she use 'Palestine' instead.
The Passport Office Encounter
Anastasia Zorchinsky, a Canadian citizen born in Kfar Saba, Israel, visited a Montreal passport office in November 2025 to apply for official documentation. During her visit, she says a passport office employee made an unexpected declaration.
The official stated that due to Israel being "a conflict zone," they could not inscribe it as her birthplace in the passport. The employee allegedly told Zorchinsky, "because of the political conflict we cannot put Israel in your passport."
In a surprising alternative, Zorchinsky was informed she could designate her birth country as 'Palestine.' The official indicated this was part of a country-specific restriction affecting Israel, mentioning that several cities, including Kfar Saba and Jerusalem, were subject to this apparent policy shift.
Questioning the Policy
Doubting the validity of these claims, Zorchinsky requested to see the official policy supporting the employee's assertion. She documented the entire exchange in a video posted to X on November 13, 2025.
"She just said this without any support, no policy document," Zorchinsky told the National Post in an interview. "It was clear something was off."
After her request for documentation, Zorchinsky says the employee consulted with colleagues who returned with additional justification. They claimed the change occurred because Canada has recognized a state of Palestine and mentioned an online list of affected cities.
Despite these claims, passport officials provided no written policy or official documentation to support their position regarding the birthplace designation.
Resolution and Broader Implications
Following Zorchinsky's persistent questioning, the passport officials ultimately reversed their position and confirmed she could indeed list Israel as her country of birth after all.
"If I had just submitted my application, who knows what would have happened?" Zorchinsky asserted. "It's clear discrimination."
Her lawyer, Neil Oberman, emphasized the troubling nature of the incident. "Why should people have to suffer the indignity of having to beg?" he questioned, noting that while his client pushed back, many applicants might not feel comfortable challenging government officials.
The incident raises significant questions about consistency in Canadian passport policy and the potential for individual discretion to override established procedures in sensitive geopolitical matters.
