Hadassah Parley in NYC THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Red Cross 'Neutrality' Is Challenged

By JOSEF FRAENKEL

Tunisia, Morocco and Kuwait. The

Jewish News London

Correspondent

Henri Dunant (1828-1910) one of
the noblest benefactors of man-
kind, had two visions: the return
of the Jews to the Holy Land, and
the Red Cross. Dunant, the Chris-
tian Zionist, compiled memoranda,
intervened, contacted the Turkish
ambassador in Paris, Djemil
Pasha, and initiated political ac-
tion in favor of the restoration
of the Jews to the Promised Land.
In 1867 he published an appeal for
Jewish colonization in Palestine.
On the occasion of the First Zion-
ist Congress in Basle (1897) he
wrote to Dr. David Farbstein: "I
may say it now—I have been wait-
ing for the Zionist Congress for a
long time-50 years, to be precise.
I wholeheartedly associate myself
with the men now meeting in
Basle."

ICRC claims to be "neutral" —
is such an attitude "neutral?"
Would the ICRC dare to ask
the Arab countries to change the
name "Red Crescent" to "Red
Cross?" The ICRC often calls
conferences where delegates of
Red Cross and Red Crescent So-
are represented—except
cieties
delegates of Magen David Adorn.

NEW YORK—For the first time

seven years. Iladassah will
hold its national convention in.
New York. The 58th annual con-
vention will take place Aug. 20 - 23
at the New York Hilton Hotel.

Friday, June 30, 1972-11

in

Only a few months ago. in March

1972, a conference of Red Cross
experts on the "Reaffirmation and
Development of International Hu-
manitarian Law Applicable in
Armed Conflict" was held in Vi-
enna. Delegates of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies were pres-
ent—except of Magen David
Adorn. Still, the ICRC claims to
be neutral.

* * * * * ********-***

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On June 24, 1859. Dunant wit-
nessed the cruel battle of Sol-
ferino, where some 30,000 dead
and wounded were left on the bat-
tlefield. Three years later, his
hook, "tin Souvenir de Solferino,"
appeared, describing the agonies
the wounded. His motto was:
"Inter arma caritas." He recom-
mended the setting up in all coun-
tries of relief societies with in-
ternational affiliations which. in
time of war and catastrophe, would
he prepared to nurse the sounded
and alleviate suffering.

An international conference was
held in Geneva in August 1864.
and, as - a result. 12 European
- Geneva
countries signed the
Convention." Thus the Red Cross
w as born.

The International Red Cross
was established in 1928. In 1929
Turkey joined the IRC but, for
religious reasons, would not ac-
cept the emblem Red Cross and
was granted the right to use
the Red Crescent. Iran, too, re-
fused to use the cross and
adopted the "Red Lion and Sun."
Arab states, including those
founded after the establishment
of Israel (1948), also use the
Red Crescent and are affiliated
with the IRC, a fact which
should be welcomed — though
Henri Dunant was one of the
great precursors of Zionism.
Today, 115 countries are affili-
ated with IRC, among them 15
which rejected the cross as their
emblem.

The actual administration is con-
ducted by the International Com-
mittee of the Red Cross in Ge-
neva. There are 20 Swiss citizens
on its executive, three of whom

(Jean-Louis le Fort, Raymond
Courvoisier, and Claude Pilloud)

form the directorate. But the
IRC has broken Dunant's fore-
most principles: "Neutrality" and
"Non-discrimination." Israel is not
included in the 115 countries af-
filiated with the IRC.

During the First World War,
Magen David Adorn societies were
formed to help the wounded of
the Jewish Legion in Palestine.
The MDA in Israel assumed
the same functions as the national
Red Cross societies in other court-
tries, in accordance with the "Ge-
neva Convention." Wherever dis-
aster strikes, the MDA is among
those to send help. The MDA
has earned an honorable
name. But Israel and MDA are
not to be found in the list of 115
countries, because the ICRC
makes it a condition that the
name Magen David Adorn be
changed to Red Cross.
The ICRC does make excep-
tions. They recognize national so-
cieties using the "Red Crescent"

in fifteen countries, among them

Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Algeria,
Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,

Grace Carollo
has convinced a lot of people that 41%
can be better than 5%.

They all called her at Person-to-Person with the
same checking and savings problem. Happy
with their regular 5% passbook at one place.
but unhappy to be paying around $30 a year
in checking charges somewhere else. Could
they do any better? Grace's answer was
Check Free & Earn—an exclusive service of
Bank of the Commonwealth. She explained
how a minimum of $500 in Bank One's
4 1/2 0 /0 regular passbook, while earning

them about $2 50 less interest per year than at
5%, would qualify them for a free checking ac-
count. So they could actually stop spending that
$30 on checking every year. That kind of arith-
metic made a lot of sense If your savings
account isn't earning you free checking,
call Person-to-Person at 965-8800 and ask
about Check Free & Earn Or just stop by
any one of our 57 oft ∎ ces We hate to see
people lose money •

CAM 965-8800 and

as& for

Bank of the Commonwearthipankpre

Ask how 41/2% can be better than 5% at any of

the convenient offices listed below:

7 Mile-James Couzens

Grand River-Fenton

8 Mile-Huntington

Grand River-Outer Drive

Livernois-Santa Maria
Southfield-13 Mile
(Beverly Hills)

