The MDA was admitted to the worldwide medical and rescue organization on Thursday simultaneously with the Palestinian Red Crescent.
MDA chief Noam Yifrach said “an injustice has been redressed after a righteous struggle,” when he made the announcement after the vote at the 29th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva.
Allowing the Palestinian Red Crescent to join represents a significant deviation from the federation’s long-time policy of restricting admission to nationwide organizations of sovereign states. PRC does not meet that definition at this time. A complicated process culminated in the passage of a resolution which was used to create the legal basis for accepting the MDA, and allowing an exception for the PRC.
The “Red Crystal” will be the new emblem that will represent the Jewish state’s society at international functions and in countries unfriendly to Israel. The red Magen David will be used inside the four-cornered diamond-shaped square white symbol when representing the society in friendly nations. The Red Cross and Red Crescent are used by most of the 184 other member organizations. A third symbol is used in Iran.
The creation and approval of the new optional emblem was approved despite fierce Muslim opposition at a diplomatic conference in December 2005. Muslim objections again got in the way of immediate approval of Israel’s entry, forcing the federation into an overnight session on Wednesday for a vote since general consensus was blocked by the opposition.
MDA was first rejected for membership in 1949 due to its unwillingness to use a cross or a crescent as a symbol for the Jewish state’s society. The international federation at that time refused to allow a third symbol. The crescent was added in the 1800’s when the Muslim countries also refused to use a cross, which inadvertently reminded them of the Christian Crusaders.
The Red Cross society was founded in 1863 by Swiss humanitarians who created the first symbol by reversing the colors of the Swiss flag. The society was first organized to treat soldiers on the battlefield.
The American Red Cross society had been pushing for Israel’s membership in the international medical and humanitarian organization for years, and ARC Chairman Bonnie Elveen Hunter was pleased at the outcome of the vote. “This has been going on for 58 years,” she noted. “It’s time. It’s overdue.”
MDA chief Noam Yifrach said “an injustice has been redressed after a righteous struggle,” when he made the announcement after the vote at the 29th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva.
Allowing the Palestinian Red Crescent to join represents a significant deviation from the federation’s long-time policy of restricting admission to nationwide organizations of sovereign states. PRC does not meet that definition at this time. A complicated process culminated in the passage of a resolution which was used to create the legal basis for accepting the MDA, and allowing an exception for the PRC.
The “Red Crystal” will be the new emblem that will represent the Jewish state’s society at international functions and in countries unfriendly to Israel. The red Magen David will be used inside the four-cornered diamond-shaped square white symbol when representing the society in friendly nations. The Red Cross and Red Crescent are used by most of the 184 other member organizations. A third symbol is used in Iran.
The creation and approval of the new optional emblem was approved despite fierce Muslim opposition at a diplomatic conference in December 2005. Muslim objections again got in the way of immediate approval of Israel’s entry, forcing the federation into an overnight session on Wednesday for a vote since general consensus was blocked by the opposition.
MDA was first rejected for membership in 1949 due to its unwillingness to use a cross or a crescent as a symbol for the Jewish state’s society. The international federation at that time refused to allow a third symbol. The crescent was added in the 1800’s when the Muslim countries also refused to use a cross, which inadvertently reminded them of the Christian Crusaders.
The Red Cross society was founded in 1863 by Swiss humanitarians who created the first symbol by reversing the colors of the Swiss flag. The society was first organized to treat soldiers on the battlefield.
The American Red Cross society had been pushing for Israel’s membership in the international medical and humanitarian organization for years, and ARC Chairman Bonnie Elveen Hunter was pleased at the outcome of the vote. “This has been going on for 58 years,” she noted. “It’s time. It’s overdue.”