Sabotaging Israel's Red Star of David (MDA)

The Magen David Adom (MDA), the Red Star of David, was born 52 years ago. It is the Red Cross, except with a Jewish symbol. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to alleviate human suffering. It serves, without discrimination, the entire Israeli population, including 1.1-million Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian Arabs in need.

MDA is not a government agency. It sought membership in the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) with the Red Star of David as its emblem. The Star of David is the symbol of the Jewish people as well as of Israel. Surrender of its emblem should not be a condition of membership. But its application for membership of the IFRC was rejected at the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which required all new national aid societies to adopt the Red Cross symbol. And yet since that time some 25 Red Crescent Societies representing the Muslim world have been admitted to the IFRC which is now called the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Services.

Every effort Israel has made to obtain recognition of MDA's emblem has failed due to tremendous world anti-Israel sentiment. MDA's exclusion and the non-recognition of its symbol are blatant examples of the ongoing campaign to delegitimize the Jewish State. The IFRC's treatment of MDA as a pariah is shameful.

The American Red Cross characterizes MDA's exclusion as "an injustice of the highest order." MDA is the only national emergency relief society to be excluded from the world's largest humanitarian network.

Recently, the Federal Court of Appeal also struck a blow against MDA. The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) had issued a notice of revocation of the registration as a charitable organization of MDA's Canadian branch. By a majority, the court upheld the proposed revocation. Like the Red Cross, MDA, being independent of government, depends upon contributions from friends, volunteers and chapters worldwide. By denying charitable status, the judgment impedes fundraising needed to enable MDA to fulfil its humanitarian objectives.

To qualify as "charitable," an organization must devote its resources to charitable activities carried on by itself. The CCRA decided the purchase of bullet proof vests was not charitable. MDA said its ambulances service very dangerous areas, often assisting people subjected to terrorist attacks and equipment to protect the injured, as well as the drivers, is needed. The CCRA demanded at least 10 instances of the locations where the ambulances had to encounter terrorist bullets. The Court noted this demand was "unduly sarcastic."

While the CCRA ultimately did not base its revocation notice on the purchase of bullet proof vests, it showed itself in this case to be permeated with an anti-Israel attitude. The basis for revocation offered by CCRA was that MDA carried on activities contrary to a supposed Canadian public policy against operating across the "greenline," i.e. the Occupied or Disputed Territories (the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank).

The Court held there was no legal foundation for the CCRA's position that, because of Canadian public policy, MDA was not carrying out its charitable objectives to the extent that it operated in the Occupied Territories. The Court held there was no definite public policy that a charitable organization could not operate in the Occupied Territories. But the majority did uphold the "Minister's fundamental concern" that the Canadian MDA (CMDA) "did not take appropriate steps to ensure that the ambulances and equipment it provided to MDA would be used for charitable purposes." The court held the MDA's resemblance to the Red Cross "questionable" since the MDA "is not recognized by the family of International Red Cross Societies." Further, since there was some "evidence" that the MDA had given one ambulance to the Israeli Defence Forces, the Court questioned CMDA's charitable purpose. The Court speculated that MDA might have been involved in military operations. The "evidence" was an internal memorandum referring to "evidence gleaned from CBC news reports and other unnamed sources" relating to "the use of ambulances in the Occupied Territories and the use of ambulances in the transportation of armed personnel, ammunition and other Armed Forces activities." The dissenting judge said these were not facts, CMDA should have been granted an opportunity to address them, and the CCRA should not act on unsubstantiated news reports.

The majority wondered whether or not MDA is truly a charitable organization and why the IFRC has not accepted Israel as a member. Does the majority not read the newspapers? Does it not understand there is an attempt to isolate Israel, to delegitimize virtually all its organizations, an attempt stemming from hatred for Israel and its people? The effect of this judgment is to lend support to Israel's enemies. This judgment is wrong and should not stand.

2. by the Minister of National Revenue's refusing to publish the revocation notice in the Canada Gazette because if it is not published, it does not take effect and the charity can survive an unsuccessful appeal.

The Minister could easily take the second way after negotiating with the CMDA to ensure it is in "technical" compliance.

The cross is the symbol of Christianity. The crescent is the symbol of the Muslim world. The Star of David is the symbol of the Jewish people as well as of Israel. There is no reason on earth that the Red Star of David should not be accorded the same international recognition as the other two symbols. It should also retain its charitable status despite what two of three Canadian judges say.

American Red Cross Calls for Recognition of Israel's Magen David Adom Society
Solution Overdue, Five Decade Exclusion From International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
WASHINGTON, February 11, 2000 —

The American Red Cross is publicly reiterating its full support of the Red Cross Society in Israel known as Magen David Adom (MDA). The full recognition of MDA by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement continues to be a top policy priority for the organization in this new century. Exclusion of MDA from full membership in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been a long-standing point of contention between the American Red Cross and the decision-making bodies of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation).

"Over the years, MDA has been relegated to observer status--without a vote--because it has used the red shield of David as its humanitarian symbol instead of the cross or the most recently approved symbol, the crescent," stated American Red Cross President and CEO Dr. Bernadine Healy. "We believe that exclusion of MDA from the Movement and the Federation, which now comprises 176 societies in sovereign nations, is a betrayal of our Fundamental Principles including Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Unity, and Universality," Healy said.

Correcting this unacceptable situation has been a priority for the American Red Cross ever since Israel became a sovereign state and signed the Geneva Conventions in 1948. Dissatisfied with progress on this issue, in 1987, representing the humanitarian will of the American people, American Red Cross delegates passed a formal resolution at their national convention, calling for immediate admission of MDA by the Movement. In 1989, the American Red Cross Board of Governors took this one step further by passing a resolution which not only emphasized the importance of MDA membership in the Federation, but also unilaterally recognized MDA as a Red Cross sister society.

With bipartisan support, the U.S. Congress has also voiced the concern of the American public on this issue. In 1987, Congress called for granting the red shield of David the identical status of recognition as the red cross and red crescent. In its authorization of funding for foreign relations in 1988 and 1989, Congress advised that the State Department limit U.S. funding of the ICRC for these fiscal years until MDA recognition was granted. In 1999, the U.S. House of Representatives once again united to formally urge recognition of MDA and directed the president of the United States to enlist the cooperation of all nations signatory to the Geneva Conventions to achieve this.

"We at the American Red Cross believe that the exclusion of Magen David Adom from the global Red Cross family of societies has gone on for too long," said Healy. "Although American Red Cross leadership continues to work diligently with international leaders who control the recognition process (i.e., Federation, ICRC), we believe this issue must be resolved now, and by this we mean in a matter of months not years," she continued.

Accordingly, the American Red Cross has stepped up its efforts and will continue to do so until MDA is fully recognized by the ICRC and has full membership within the Federation. Recent efforts include: appointing former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger to serve as an advisor on this and other international issues; presenting the American Red Cross position on MDA recognition at the 27th International Conference; and visiting with MDA to discuss recognition issues and areas for bilateral cooperation, in keeping with efforts to strengthen bilateral relationships with other sister societies.

"We are optimistic that through solid leadership and sustained efforts, the immutable values of the Red Cross will prevail and lead to the full recognition of the humanitarian society of Israel, the Magen David Adom," Healy concluded.

The American Red Cross is dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world. A volunteer-led humanitarian service organization operating on a budget of $2.3 billion, the American Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 60,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. The Red Cross also trains more than 11.7 million people in vital lifesaving skills, provides direct health services to 2.5 million people, assists international disaster and conflict victims in more than 20 countries, and transmits more than 1.4 million emergency messages to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Dr. Bernadine Healy is president and CEO of the American Red Cross.

Last modified: 03/06/2002 15:31:47 ET

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The American Red Cross is dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world. A humanitarian service organization currently operating on a budget of $2.7 billion, the American Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 63,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. The American Red Cross also trains more than 11.7 million people in vital lifesaving skills, provides direct health services to 2.5 million people, provides more than 24 million locally relevant community services, assists international disaster and conflict victims in more than 50 countries, and transmits nearly 1.4 million emergency messages between members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Dr. Bernadine Healy is president and CEO of the American Red Cross. If you would like information on Red Cross services and programs please contact your local Red Cross.

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