Magen David Adom

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History

The Magen David Adom organisation was formed in 1930 as a volunteer outfit with a single branch in Tel Aviv. After opening branches in Jerusalem and Haifa, it was extended nationwide five years later, providing medical support to the public and the Haganah. In 1950 the Knesset passed a law making MDA's status as Israel's national emergency service official.

Involvement with the Red Cross

The Magen David Adom flag

Since its creation, Magen David Adom has been denied membership in the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since it has refused to replace its red Star of David emblem with a red cross.

The official reason for the denial of membership is concerns about symbol proliferation; at the same 1929 conference which granted use of the Red Crescent and Red Lion And Sun, a limitation was placed on acceptance of any further emblems. (The "Red Star of David" symbol was not submitted to the ICRC until 1931).

Similar concerns of India, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the former USSR regarding the use of non-Hindu and seemingly religious symbols were also dismissed by the ICRC, but their national bodies chose to adopt the Red Cross as their official emblems in order to gain entry. The Red Cross -- the inverse of the Swiss flag, the country of origin of the founder of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement -- is not intended as a religious symbol, but is often perceived as such.

Critics of the ICRC assert discrimination since Turkey, Iran and Egypt were granted membership in 1929 while using the Islamic Red Crescent as their emblem, citing the same concerns about the cross.

In her March, 2000 letter to the International Herald Tribune, doctor Bernadine Healy, then president of the American Red Cross, wrote: "The international committee's feared proliferation of symbols is a pitiful fig leaf, used for decades as the reason for excluding the Magen David Adom - the Shield (or Star) of David." In protest, the American Red Cross withheld millions in administrative funding to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) since May 2000.

The third protocol emblem, also known as the Red Crystal.

Despite the continued lack of official recognition, the IFRC has increased assistance to MDA by helping with organizational development, and identifying opportunities to incorporate MDA staff and volunteers in trainings and deployments during international disasters.

Since the mid 1990's, there has also been extensive and growing co-operation between MDA and the ICRC including, among other things, a USD$2.2 million expenditure on strengthening ties between the two organisations, the signing in 2004 of a two year co-operation statement, the permanent placement of an ICRC co-operation officer in MDA headquarters, and extensive support of the MDA's blood bank activities. In addition, there are bilateral cooperation agreements between MDA and a number of national Red Cross societies.

In 2005, the ICRC added the third Protocol emblem, famously dubbed the "Red Crystal", hailed as a truly universal emblem free of religious, ethnic, or political connotation. The new symbol is a red square frame tilted at a 45 degree angle. MDA has adopted this symbol in addition to their pre-existing emblem. The third Protocol Emblem went into effect after final approval by the Geneva Conventions on December 7, 2005, establishing a solid foundation in international law for its use and recognition. Relief societies already using the red cross or crescent need not adopt the new emblem.