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| Israel's Magen David Adom to join the International Red Cross ?
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Swiss foreign minister Micheline Calmy-Rey held meetings with the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem on Sunday to discuss the entry of Israel’s national emergency service into the International Red Cross.
Israel’s Magen David Adom, which uses the symbol of a red star of David, has never been granted the privileges of a IRC member, since a secret vote in Geneva in 1949 rejected its membership.
Israel has always argued that MDA should be allowed to join the organization, which would create the opportunity for increased funding and prestige. It would also give MDA a stronger remit to send volunteers abroad to help Jews in need and provide them with protection.
The IRC was given the charge of providing principal humanitarian relief in the 1949 Geneva conventions and Switzerland, as the depositary state of the Conventions, is responsible for its overall running.
Clearing the air
Sharon had refused to meet with Calmy-Rey since she gave her to support to Yossi Beilin’s Geneva Accords peace plan, the proposal which had no authority from the Israeli government.
But according to Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, a source close to the prime minister’s office said this week’s talks with Sharon were “good” and served to “clear the air”.
At the moment any member of the IRC has to display either a red cross or a crescent, the symbol of the Arab world.
It is believed that Calmy-Rey is planning on setting up a conference of the Geneva Convention signatories to vote on allowing countries to send medical teams using a red “crystal”.
MDA would then be able to use the crystal sign with a star of David inside it.
International concern
Arab countries have consistently opposed MDA’s entry into the IRC and this week Calmy-Rey was due to hold talks over the issue with leaders throughout the region, including in Egypt and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, while in Israel, the Swiss FM moved to echo other world leader’s condemnation of the comments made by the Iranian president calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map”.
The Swiss foreign ministry has already called the remarks “unacceptable” and the Iranian ambassador to Bern was summoned to the ministry to give an explanation.
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