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UK lists 'occupied Palestinian territories' instead of Jerusalem on passport

Worried about how she can travel on such a document, she contacted Israeli Ambassador to  the UK Tzipi Hotovely but has received no response.

June 16, 2021 at 2:45 pm

A dual British-Israeli national has had her place of birth listed as the “Occupied Palestinian Territories” after she renewed her UK travel document, Haaretz reports. Her previous passport listed her place of birth as Jerusalem.

Speaking to public broadcaster Kan, Ayelet Balaban said: “I thought that maybe they were confused, because I live in a moshav [community] of Jewish evacuees from Gaza,” she said, although it is not her place of birth, Haaretz reported.

Worried about how she can travel on such a document, she contacted Israeli Ambassador to  the UK Tzipi Hotovely but has received no response.

Kan said it reached out to the Israeli Foreign Ministry who said they were investigating the incident, while the British embassy in Israel did not respond.

On it’s website, the British government says it has “withheld recognition of sovereignty over Jerusalem pending a final determination of its status. We recognise Israel’s de facto authority over West Jerusalem. In line with Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) and subsequent Council resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as under Israeli occupation.”

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