Red Cross to Accept Magen David

Hat Tip: Legalbgl

The International Red Cross has agreed to accept Magen David Adom as a member after a long-standing policy of shunting Israel's ambulance and rescue service, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said.


Shalom met with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey Monday morning and later said a conference in Geneva would be asked to ratify the admission of Israel's Magen David Adom ("Red Star of David") into the International Red Cross. The new standing will allow Magen David to receive financial assistance from the international organization.

The Red Cross explained its long-standing refusal in that it could not recognize the Star of David, part of Magen David's logo. The international rescue body adopted the red cross, an inversion of Switzerland's flag, as its official symbol in the 19th century at the Geneva Convention. It prohibited using other symbols after its 1929 acceptance of the red crescent used by Arab Red Crescent ambulance services.

For a supposed neutral organization, it was quite a partisan step to prohibit the Israeli organization. One could even say that it was anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. And you'd be right. The organization has finally come around to recognizing all the hard work and dedication that Magen David Adom puts into helping those in times of need. It's too bad that it wasn't done much sooner.