III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 343

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the International Red Cross and

Red Crescent Movement should recognize and admit to full membership

Israel’s Magen David Adom Society with its emblem, the Red Shield

of David.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 26, 2000

Mr. FITZGERALD (for himself, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. HELMS, and

Mr. LUGAR) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the International

Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement should recognize

and admit to full membership Israel’s Magen David

Adom Society with its emblem, the Red Shield of David.

Whereas Israel’s Magen David Admon Society has since 1930

provided emergency relief to people in many countries in

times of need, pain, and suffering, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation;

Whereas in the past year alone, the Magen David Adom Society has provided invaluable humanitarian services in

Kosovo, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, as well as

Greece and Turkey in the wake of the earthquakes that

devastated these countries;
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SRES 343 IS

Whereas the American Red Cross has recognized the superb

and invaluable work done by the Magen David Adom Society and considers the exclusion of the Magen David

Adom Society from the International Red Cross and Red

Crescent Movement ‘‘an injustice of the highest order’’;

Whereas the American Red Cross has repeatedly urged that

the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

recognize the Magen David Admon Society as a full

member, with its emblem;

Whereas the Magen David Adom Society utilizes the Red

Shield of David as its emblem, in similar fashion to the

utilization of the Red Cross and Red Crescent by other

national societies;

Whereas the Red Cross and the Red Crescent have been recognized as protective emblems under the Statutes of the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement;

Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross has

ignored previous requests from the United States Congress to recognize the Magen David Adom Society;

Whereas the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red

Crescent Movement state that it ‘‘makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions,’’ and it ‘‘may not take sides in hostilities

or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature’’;

Whereas although similar national organizations of Iraq,

North Korea, and Afghanistan are recognized as full

members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Magen David Adom Society has been

denied membership since 1949;
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SRES 343 IS

Whereas in the six fiscal years 1994 through 1999, the

United States Government provided a total of

$631,000,000 to the International Committee of the Red

Cross and $82,000,000 to the International Federation

of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; and

Whereas in fiscal year 1999 alone, the United States Government provided $119,500,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross and $7,300,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That—

2 (1) the International Committee of the Red

3 Cross should immediately recognize the Magen

4 David Adom Society and the Magen David Adom

5 Society should be granted full membership in the

6 International Red Cross and Red Crescent Move7 ment;

8 (2) the International Federation of Red Cross

9 and Red Crescent Societies should grant full mem10 bership to the Magen David Adom Society imme11 diately following recognition by the International

12 Committee of the Red Cross of the Magen David

13 Adom Society;

14 (3) the Magen David Adom Society should not

15 be required to give up or diminish its use of its em16 blem as a condition for immediate and full member-
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SRES 343 IS

1 ship in the International Red Cross and Red Cres2 cent Movement; and

3 (4) the Red Shield of David should be accorded

4 the same recognition under international law as the

5 Red Cross and the Red Crescent.

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