11112:-.1 L11.1'141111 14 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 2 Friday, October 13, 1918 Purely Commentary Magen David Adom's Role, Postponement of Recognition by League of Red Cross Societies Why does the League of Red Cross Societies, the world- wide organization representing the important cause, fail to admit its Israeli counterpart, Magen David Adorn? This has been cause for irritation since the rebirth of the state of Israel and the establishment of the Israel Red Cross move- ment. Political reasons causing the prejudicial act on the inter- national scene account for the aggravations. Discriminat- ory acts against Israel in many international agencies of the United Nations resulted from the Communist-Third World-Arab combine which will not stop at anything in efforts to undermine Israel's status on the world scene. The hatreds evidenced in many areas are not as evident when the antagonists deal with Israel in Red Cross deliber- ations. The International Red Cross cooperates with Israel, in spite of the omission of the Israel movement from the League of Red Cross Societies. The cooperative spirit is ascribable to the very friendly attitude of the American Red Cross which has backed recognition of Magen David Adorn internationally. IL- The accompanying statement from the American Red Cross is of great importance in clarifying the issue. It leads to an understanding of the position taken by the American A, II AO - 0 b 4 G•-• , . / Symbols Recognized By International Red Cross and the lifeblood of Israel Not Recognized spokesmen and it must not be ignored. It is without doubt the most vital document involving Magen David Adorn and the dispute over its admission to the League of Red Cross Societies. A statement by Robert G. Wick, senior vice president of the American National Red Cross, added importance to the basic statement on relations with the Magen David Adorn. It is vindication of the American position of fair play. Emphasis on fair play by the Red Cross towards Magen David Adorn has been heard here numerous times. Duane E. Johnson, executive director of the Southeastern Michi- gan Chapter of the American Red Cross, has joined the Magen David Adorn functions here with messages of friendship and cooperation. Whatever bias is the cause of Israel's Magen David Adorn being deprived of having the Shield of David included in the emblems with the Red Cross, the Red Crescent and the Red Lion and Sun are not the fault of American representatives. Operation Recognition organized in behalf of Magen David Adorn by Rabbi Rubin R. Dobin, helps in resolving the problem created by political prejudices. If the American Red Cross representatives have their say it is to be assumed that the question mark in the accompanying square will be completed with the inclusion of the Red Magen David as a vital factor in the human efforts of the International Red Cross. American Role in Behalf of Admission of Israel's Magen David Adom in League of Red Cross Societies Emphasizes American Defense of Fair Play By Philip Slomovitz Position Statement of the American Red Cross On the Issue of International Recognition of the Magen David Adorn in Israel The problem of international recognition of Magen David Adorn, the national society of Israel, has existed since its foundation in 1948. The basic issue is the inclusion of its emblem, -the Red Shield of David, among those emblems currently in use and sanctioned by 'governments through international treaties known as the Geneva Conventions. Controversy and misunderstanding surrounding this issue prompt the American Red Cross to present the following factual information regarding international recognition of Magen David Adom: I. The American Red Cross has always had and continues to have a positive relationship with the Magen David Adorn of Israel. The American Red Cross has always recognized the Magen David Adorn as a fully qualified eati —' society. II. Unfortunately, the Shield of David was not accepted by the Diplomatic Conference of Governments in 1949 w n the present Geneva Conventions were adopted despite the vigorous support of the United States government. The Geneva Conventions are instruments developed by governments. III. Despite the fact that the Shield of David is therefore not an emblem that is accorded the same legal recognition as the "Cross, the Crescent and the Lion and the Sun," the Shield has had de facto recognition both as an emblem of the medical services of the Israeli armed forces and as the emblem of the Israel National Society. IV. The fact that the Shield has only de facto and not de jure recognition precludes official recognition of the Magen David Adorn inasmuch as rules for recognition of the National Societies as determined by International Red Cross Conferences specify that only Societies using emblems recognized in the Geneva Conventions may be afforded official recognition. It should be noted that International Red Cross Conferences are attended by governments, as well as National Societies. Thus, the recognition question is a governmental issue and not one that can be decided by Red Cross Societies alone. V. Diplomatic conferences were held in Geneva in four successive years — 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977 — for the purpose of drafting new protocols (that is, extensions) to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Delegations from the government of Israel attended each of these four diplomatic conferences inasmuch as Israel is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions. It is our understanding that the United States government delegations assured the Israeli government delegations that the United States government would support any Israeli request that the Shield of David be granted identical status with the Cross, the Crescent and the Lion and Sun emblems. The Israeli delegations did not request any one of the four conferences to accord recognition to the Shield of David. VI. The 1974-77 Diplomatic Conferences were conferences of governments and not of Red Cross Societies. Because of American Red Cross interest in the Magen David Adorn, the American Red Cross inquired of the U.S. Department of State as to its understanding regarding the reasons why Israel had not asked for international recognition of the Shield of David. It is our understanding that the government of Israel considered that an official request for recognition of the Shield of David would not be acceptable to the Diplomatic Conferences and that a negative vote on the matter might conceivably jeopardize the de facto recognition currently accorded the Shield of David. VII. Because the Magen David Adorn uses an emblem not granted international recognition, it does not fulfill all the conditions for full recognition and subsequent membership in the League of Red Cross Societies, the international federation of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Lion and Sun Societies. VIII. Recognizing that the Magen David Adorn performs excellent services on behalf of its country and that in every way it is exceptionally well-qualified as a national society for membership in the League, except for the technicality of its emblem, the American Red Cross -put forward a proposed resolution to a special meeting of the board of governors of the League of Red Cross Societies convened in Geneva, Switzerland in OctobeT 1976 to consider a new Constitution for the League. The American Red Cross resolution recommended that (1) a joint commission comprised of representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies be appointed to review the conditions and procedures related to the recognition of national societies in order to adapt them to present world circumstances, and that (2) "Such commission be enjoined to consider in particular the record and humanitarian services of Magen David Adorn, the national society of Israel, and ways and means whereby that society could be granted full recognition by international Red Cross bodies, given the undisputed fact that its emblem has been accorded de facto recognition for several decades." Prior to requesting that this resolution be placed on the agenda, the American Red Cross informed the Magen David Adorn of its intention. IX. The government of Israel sent a special representative to Geneva to confer with the American Red Cross delegation to request that the resolution referred to above be withdrawn. It was his opinion that the resolution should not be presented to the board of governors of the League for action despite the fact that it already had been circulated to all delegations. Accordingly, after discussion with the Israeli representative and appropriate officials of the League, it was determined that the American Red Cross resolution would be dropped from the agenda. X. However, the senior American Red Cross delegates attending the League meeting (Dr. Frank Stanton, chair- man, and Mr. George Elsey, president) felt that some positive action in the interest of the Magen David Adorn was essential. The terms of the proposed new constitution contained language so restrictive as to membership that, if adopted in the form in which drafted, it would make the consideration of MDA membership in the future especially difficult. Therefore, Dr. Stanton presented an amendment which wquld have removed from the list of requirements for League membership the requirement that a national society be eligible only if its emblem were the Cross, the Crescent, or the Red Lion and Sun. a If the American amendment had been adopted, it would have cleared the way for Magen David Adorn membership without requiring a change in the constitution at such time in the future as the MDA might wish to apply for membership. After extensive debate, the American amendment was rejected by a vote of 50 against, 6 in favor, 4 delegates abstaining, and 25 delegates withholding their votes and not recorded in any fashion. Among the reasons advanced by those speaking against the ARC amendment were that decisions on emblems are within the authority of governments, not Red Cross bodies, and that the question of additional emblems was a matter to be considered at the final session of the Diplomatic Conference scheduled for Geneva in the Spring of 1977. (As noted above in Paragraphs V. and VI., the Israeli government did not request the 1977 Diplomatic Conference to accord recognition to the Shield of David.) XI. Therefore, the requirement that membership in the League be limited to Societies that use the Cross, CreF - and the Lion and Sun remains in force. XII. Despite the fact that the Magen David Adorn is not a member of the League, relationships between the American Red Cross and the Magen David Adorn are in no way impaired. In July 197', the president of the American Red Cross was cordially received at the Magen David Adorn headquarters in Israel where he conferred with the chief officials of that organization discussing mutual interests and future cooperative efforts. XIII. Because of the complexities of this issue there continued to be an unfortunate lack of understanding of the relationship between the American Red Cross and the Magen David Adorn. Misunderstandings are somewhat fostered by continued emphasis on membership in the League of Red Cross Societies. Accordingly, the American Red Cross limits its reference to League membership in its publications and emphasizes, instead indirect association with other national societies including the Magen David Adorn of Israel. American Red Cross chapters are encouraged to use but a single emblem in their literature and in their displays — the Red Cross itself— and not to display the Crescent and the Lion and Sun in their publications, banners or flags. In the event that a chapter wishes to use multiple flags or emblems, then all four emblems used by societies recognized by the American Red Cross as fully qualified national societies must be displayed. These are: the Cross, the Crescent, the Lion and Sun, and the Shield of David. XIV. At the XXIII International Conference of the Red Cross held in Bucharest in October 1977, considering that the question of emblems called for its thorough examination by the National Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies constituted a working group to study all questions relating to emblems. The American Red Cross recommended the establishment of such a group in October 1976 and has been named a member of this working group, which will present its report to the XXIVth International Conference in 1981.