Magen David Adom

(Red Shield of David)

   Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross or Red Crescent, which provides emergency medical services. The first group was founded in Tel Aviv in 1930, and in 1935, a national organization was formed. After Israel's independence, it sought to affiliate with the Geneva-based International Red Cross, but this was rejected, as the Red Cross refused to recognize the Magen David Adom symbol. On 8 March 2000, the American Red Cross board of governors unanimously passed a resolution admitting Magen David Adom as a full member of the Red Cross. In late 2005, a consensus appeared in favor of the adoption of a new symbol, a diamond that would enable Magen David Adom to take its rightful place as a full member of the International Red Cross. In the meantime, the refusal of the Red Cross to accord it membership had not stopped Magen David Adom from becoming a major provider of humanitarian assistance to international relief operations throughout the world, including in Muslim countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations. In June 2006, Magen David Adom was formally admitted into the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies by a vote of 237 to 54, with 44 abstentions.

   See also Foreign Policy.