Magen David Adom pledges to implement exit from West Bank, according to document
Magen David Adom says it will implement a 2005 agreement to stop funding and operating ambulances in the West Bank, according to a document on the undertaking obtained by Haaretz. According to the pledge, the local authorities in the West Bank will run the ambulance service, whose staff will wear different uniforms to distinguish them from their MDA colleagues in Israel proper....MDA would also remove the Star of David from its ambulances in the West Bank, replacing it with a red diamond shape.
For its part, Magen David Adom said in a statement on Thursday that it is "not familiar with the document in question. We denounce the attempt to use fragmental information, most of it distorted, and present it as facts. Magen David Adom is operating as usual with no change in the entire West Bank, with the organization's emblem as it has been until now."
...At the beginning of June this year, senior Red Cross officials from the United States, France, Indonesia and Turkey came to Israel to pressure Magen David to change the emblem on the ambulances. At the meeting in Finland later that month, Magen David Adom Chairman Noam Yifrah, the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent and Stenbeck agreed to change the Star of David emblems on the ambulances and the MDA's uniforms in the West Bank. Yifrah submitted examples of the new emblem and promised that foreign donations for buying Magen David Adom ambulances would not be used for buying ambulances for the settlements. In August, MDA started calling in ambulances from the West Bank to Israel to change the emblem, angering the settlers and raising a political uproar...On November 13, Magen David Adom told the IFRC it had changed the markings on 62 of 68 ambulances posted in settlements, with a picture showing the new emblem...MDA reported that it had problems with foreign donators due to the decision to change the emblem and had received a letter from the state comptroller asking for a clarification on the issue. It also said a number of settlers had changed the emblem on the ambulances themselves and MDA intended to take legal steps against them.
Withdraw you financial support!
Dismantle your affiliation!
Surrender your commitments!
__________________
Marc Prowiser adds here:
...Magen David Adom has now shown us that they are no longer an organization whose priority it is to save lives; they have joined the political arena. They wish to be part of “them” rather than “us”.
The irony here, in the simple world of saving lives is… that the same people who have brought honor and dignity to the Red Star of David in the Arab world are now the ones being thrown “to the dogs”.
They wish to change the uniforms of the MDA volunteers in Judea and Samaria to “distinguish” us from others, I believe the new uniform they propose will have a “Yellow Star” on it, perhaps this will appease the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent…whose symbols do not offend the world, as the Star of David does…nasty Jews.
Yet more of the same rhetoric and poison streams through the leadership of the MDA, much like that of various Jewish Federations and Congregations who also abandon our people living in Judea and Samaria. MDA and ARMDI keep on claiming to deny this “letter” and allegations, yet I have not seen any action to back their words of defense, only concern that their donor base will decrease.
If it is not true, PROVE IT TO BE WRONG!
We are told that this whole story is based upon their wish of acceptance to a club whose symbol is a cross and a crescent, an organization whose ambulances have been proven guilty of transporting terrorists to kill innocents, and who offer more funding, funny, the word “whore” comes to mind.
If the MDA does continue down this road, they will be able to stand proudly next to other proud organizations like B’Tzelem, the New Israel Fund and others who have turned their back on Israel’s future. They will also have to bear the same responsibility.
Magen David Adom… If you leave us, we will leave you, and it will be your loss! But the symbol will remain, because it is not yours, it is OURS, the Jewish People!
^
Posts
2 comments:
Operating from 119 Emergency Medical Stations throughout Israel, from the northernmost city of Metulla to Eilat, and including 14 MDA Stations in West Bank communities, Magen David Adom ambulances continue to proudly display the “Red Star of David” or “Magen David Adom.” There has been no change in this policy. MDA ambulances have displayed the “Red Star of David” since the organization’s founding in 1930 and any rumors or allegations to the contrary are simply not true.
Recently, on “Shabbat Hevron” (“Hayei Sara,” the parasha read on November 19), Magen David Adom had a medical tent near Machpela (Tomb of the Patriarchs) in Hevron, further proving that MDA provides service on both sides of the “Green Line.”
In addition to its large national fleet of emergency vehicles, there are a number of small kibbutzim, moshavim, factories and communities on both sides of the “Green Line” that are operating older ambulances which were provided by MDA after they were taken out of active duty. Crews manning these lifesaving vehicles are trained and certified by Magen David Adom, work under the supervision of MDA’s “Community Unit” and are in regular communication with the MDA National Dispatch Center, but are not MDA staff. These ambulances also carry the “Magen David” shield, however because they are operated by individual communities/municipalities this emblem is blue and the vehicles also bear the names of their home base communities. This ensures that there is no confusion regarding the level of operational capabilities.
All the policies and procedures regarding community ambulances have been fully endorsed by the Israeli Government and in consultation with Danny Dayan, Chairman of the Judea and Samaria Council who requested that these adjustments to “community ambulances” first take place on the other side of the “Green Line” and only afterwards in Judea and Samaria. MDA agreed to this request.
This issue has been created by Arutz Sheva, whose legitimacy as a fair and balanced news service is questionable. Until this week, when JTA featured a short story, no other newspaper or news service in Israel ran it for the simple reason that it is completely misrepresented and wrong. In fact, the JTA story reports on a consequence of the negative campaign waged by Arutz Sheva.
However, as important as all of these points are, the following is, for us, the most important issue:
Every day, throughout Israel, Magen David Adom medical teams are on alert, operating nearly 900 ambulances that travel 10 million miles to care for 600,000 patients. Heart attacks, strokes, work, home and road accidents, illnesses, pregnancies and so on, in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nahariya, Metulla, Tzfat, Jerusalem, Rehovot, Sderot, Ashdod, Be’er Sheva, Eilat, Dimona, as well as Efrat, Kiryat Arba and Ofra, MDA is saving lives in Israel.
When terrorists in Gaza fire the next barrage of rockets at Sderot, Ashkelon and Be’er Sheva, when another round of missiles aimed at Israel are launched from southern Lebanon (as they were on November 28), MDA will be there to treat, stabilize and rush Israeli civilians to the hospital. Furthermore, MDA collects, tests and stores the nation’s blood, supplying 100% of the needs of the IDF and 95% of the rest used in Israel. These urgent and essential human needs, served by Magen David Adom and supported by American Friends of Magen David Adom, are crucial and compelling reasons to donate funds to AFMDA now.
Dear Anon: Thanks for helping us all think again.
But, I ask: is that document real? Are the contents genuine? If not, say it's a fake? If yes, explain so we can have a debate/discussion.
It's quite simple, real;y. No one claims MDA does not do good work. We are focusing on the political field which MDA has gotten itself, seemingly, into.
Post a Comment