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PRESIDENTIAL POWERS

SCOTUS: Only Prez Can Recognize Nations

In case involving Jerusalem birthplace.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem can't list Israel as their place of birth on passports, because only the president has the power to recognize foreign nations. A law allowing U.S. citizens to list Israel as their birthplace was passed by Congress in 2002 and signed by George W. Bush. However, both Bush and President Obama have refused to enforce that provision of the law, because it violates the U.S. government's policy of neutrality on whether Jersualem belongs to Israel.

Read it at Reuters

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