Friday, July 05, 2013

MDA Saves Lives But Loses National Honor

Almost two years ago, we all became embroiled in a dispute with Magen David Adom and its American Friends support group.

See here and here.

Now we learn:


Magen David Adom is not in compliance with a 2005 agreement not to operate its ambulances in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Maurer told Israeli reporters in Tel Aviv on Thursday...this 2005 agreement bans MDA from operating over the pre-1967 line, except in the Golan Heights, in favor of the Red Crescent.

As a result of the memorandum, MDA took its logo off ambulances operated by local Israeli authorities in West Bank settlements...He added that a monitor examines Israeli compliance with this issue.
 

...MDA spokesman Zaki Heller said that MDA has not agreed to cease operation in West Bank settlements and east Jerusalem. Heller said his organization had interpreted the 2005 agreement to mean that MDA ambulances could operate where Israelis live, including West Bank settlements and Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.

...Foreign Ministry officials explained that MDA was walking a fine line between privatizing service over the pre-1967 line to comply with the agreement, while still operating in Jewish communities in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.  The officials added that MDA signed the 2005 memorandum of understanding, but the Israeli government had not.  They added that they would not have advised MDA to sign the memorandum.

The agreement allowed Israel to be recognized as a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and the ICRC.

Saving lives is worthy.

Saving national honor is, too.

^

1 comment:

J.Clifford said...

The ICRC put pressure on MDA, who capitulated by adopting a "Red Shield" and dropping the Magen Dovid. They did nothing during the Holocaust to inspect the camps, they did nothing when the remnants of the Shoah were incarcerated in more camps by the British. They aided Nazis to escape justice and they still exhibit the same prejudice against Jews that they always had.