American Red Cross Welcomes Israel’s Magen David Adom and Palestine Red Crescent Society to International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, June 21, 2006 — Today, the American Red Cross welcomes and celebrates the membership of Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The inclusion of these two National Societies is a significant step towards universality for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

For MDA, admission is long overdue. Since Israel gained Statehood in 1948, the American Red Cross has fought for international recognition of MDA as Israel’s equivalent to the Red Cross. To underscore this commitment and encourage action on this issue, the American Red Cross has withheld $45 million in dues since May 2000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"We are extremely pleased that a wrong has been made right and that MDA is now an equal partner with the 184 other National Societies that comprise the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement," said Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, American Red Cross Chairman. "MDA is a world-class emergency response organization and has a great deal of expertise to offer other National Societies and the world during critical times of need."

For more than 50 years, the American Red Cross Board of Governors had considered admission of MDA to the Movement a policy priority. MDA had been denied access to the Movement because they used the Red Star of David, which is not explicitly referenced in the Geneva Conventions.

In December 2005, a Diplomatic Conference adopted the Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions. The Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions enables MDA to continue to use the Red Shield of David when operating in Israel and, when operating outside of Israel, to use the Red Shield of David inside the newly adopted Red Crystal emblem.

The success of the Diplomatic Conference was due in large part to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Agreement on Operational Arrangements between MDA and the Palestine Red Crescent Society in which both Societies committed to take concrete steps to improve humanitarian conditions in these areas. The MOU also paved the way for the membership of both societies in the Movement. As a result of these agreements, Palestinians now receive urgently needed medical and humanitarian services more quickly.

"In righting this injustice, the American Red Cross is grateful for the courage, resolve and support of the Governments of the United States and Switzerland, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, our sister Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world, and the many organizations and Members of Congress who have been steadfast in their support for MDA’s admission," said McElveen-Hunter.

MDA is a critical tracing partner to the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center. A resource of hope, the Center has responded to 40,000 requests worldwide for information on the fate of those affected by the Holocaust and, in 1,200 miraculous cases, has reconnected loved ones. For further information on the Center, go to http://www.redcross.org/services/intl/holotrace/index.html.

For more information on this topic, please visit http://www.redcross.org/mda/.

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.