A Montreal woman is taking action against Service Canada after officials initially refused to list Israel as her country of birth on her passport. Anastasia Zorchinsky, a Canadian citizen born in Kfar Saba, Israel, claims she was told by passport office employees that due to a "political conflict," they could not include Israel on her passport. Instead, she was offered the option to list her birthplace as Palestine, which she found unacceptable. Zorchinsky and her lawyer, Neil Oberman, believe this situation may be linked to the Canadian government's recent recognition of Palestine as a state. After Zorchinsky pushed back against the passport office's decision, she received her passport on November 29, which correctly identifies Israel as her birthplace. Oberman wrote to the Montreal passport office and Service Canada on November 12, seeking clarification on the matter. 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. He suspects the media attention surrounding Zorchinsky's case influenced the swift reply. Zorchinsky expressed her concern during the interview, stating, "This doesn’t happen to anyone else. It’s abnormal. It’s not okay." She criticized Groen's response as "totally insufficient," prompting her and Oberman to draft a second letter. In this follow-up letter, dated November 27, Oberman noted that Groen acknowledged the possibility of confusion among passport staff and mentioned the need for Service Canada to review its operational tools. However, Oberman pointed out that Groen did not explain why staff had created policies that lacked a basis in official guidelines. Oberman reiterated his request for the policy documents that informed the passport office's initial decision. He also demanded 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. Additionally, he may pursue a judicial review in Federal Court. Oberman emphasized that the situation was not merely a clerical error, stating, "It was the application of non-existent rules, delivered with confidence." Both Zorchinsky and Oberman attribute the incident to the federal government's recognition of Palestine, which they believe has emboldened individuals with anti-Israel sentiments. Oberman remarked, "This is not a Jewish issue. All Canadians have the right to government service without the influence of geopolitics." Zorchinsky's experience has resonated with others, prompting them to share their own stories. They are currently gathering and reviewing these accounts to determine if further legal action is warranted in the future.